Just Business
by Pink Panther14
Summary: Angel is just a simple, lovely girl, but what happens when she gets caught in Hiten's schemes to expose Bankotsu? Years ago, Hiten was blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and Bankotsu will pay for it, or let his girlfriend pay for him...
1. Diamond in the Rough

A/N: Hello, readers and writers! I'm gonna take a dive and go further into the who kidnapping genre. If you read This Forgotten Me, which I also wrote, you see that Hiten kidnaps and hypnotizes Evy, Bankostu's wife. This is my second fanfic, so **please** don't knock it… just be nice and give me constructive criticism.

ENJOY!

* * *

Her eyes opened slowly, everything blurry and not clearly visible. She had a splitting headache, and the smell of the room didn't make it any better. Slowly, she lifted her head from its lowered position. Her head continued to pulse painfully as her eyes tried to refocus to the lack of light.

'_Where am I?_' she thought hopelessly.

Everything was either too dark or too blurry, and trying to distinguish human from object strained her. She moaned in agony, but kept quiet, not yet knowing where she was or who had her there.

It was then that she realized that there was a cleave gag in her mouth. The cloth was so rough it cut her tongue and fought her teeth when she tried in vain to get it out. She gave up on it when she tasted the familiar metallic taste of blood. The cloth even tasted dirty, and she didn't want to get the cuts it inflicted on her lips and tongue infected.

Again, she looked around the room, everything in a slightly better focus. There was a set of steep stairs with a dim, ghostly streak of light coming from its top. Two of the wooden planks on the staircase were broken, and she could a see a large rat crawling on one.

She slowly turned her head so as to not blur the images in front of her and caught sight of a smoldering furnace. Beside this furnace was a set of pipes that had water dripping from it. From the smell, she could tell that the water was merged with mold and, possibly, an animal's corpse. The droplets of water hit a puddle with the familiar drip-drops of rain she heard on the porch of her summer home. The water only tormented her as she thought of the warm sun on her skin, only to be reminded that she now sat in what appeared to be a hot, damp basement.

She pushed the thoughts out of her head and continued her investigation of the room. On her right, she caught a most startling sight, even with the dull light coming from the furnace. Thick chains glimmered against the lights. There wasn't a long length of chain there; there were three chains, and at the end of the two on the sides, there were thick cuffs. On the one in the middle, there was a larger, thicker manacle. They were all attached callousely to the wall.

'_Oh my God, NO! What is this?! How did I get here? NO!_' she cried inside her head.

Her heart began to beat like the hooves of a galloping hell-horse when she looked further over to the right where another set of chains lay. On these chains, dark patches of what seemed to be a dried liquid were seen. She almost jumped out of her skin when she realized by the smell that the substance… was blood.

The poor girl shook her head rapidly, despite the migraine she carried. She had to release herself from those thoughts. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to stand. Fear overcame her when she realized that her arms, legs, and torso were locked into place, immobile. She struggled to get free and looked down.

Solid ropes were tied around her delicate arms, ankles, and torso. She let out muffled screams as she tried to escape the bind of the ropes, only to cut and scratch her body grimly on the cruel cords. The pain stung into her arms and ankles like a thousand hornets, and tears sprang from her eyes.

She finally gave up, throwing her back into the chair and continuing to sob and moan. She had never been so afraid in her life. Here she was in a dank cellar she's never seen before, tied up and gagged in a chair less than five feet away from shackles and chains connected to a wall. They were obviously to be used for the restraint of a human. And she could tell by the bloody pile of chains next to them that being restrained here was gruesome.

She had to find a way to escape. She had tried struggling, but that didn't work. She could scream for help, but whoever put her here in this chair next to those chains and shackles was sure to still be there, probably waiting for her to wake up in fear. Well, she was indeed awake, and she was engulfed in terror thinking of what could await her.

'_I don't want to die like some fake blonde in a horror movie…_' she moaned inwardly.

She whimpered uncontrollably, tears still running down her face. She looked around her on the floor, trying to find something, anything, to free herself. She was disheartened to find nothing. Not even a nail to loosen the rope's coils like her boyfriend had taught her.

She almost jumped herself and the chair onto the floor when she suddenly heard the handle of the door at the top of the stairs shake. Her breathing became fast and shallow as she watched to see who her captor was.

She imagined a disgusting, balding fat man who lusted after young teenage girls ever since he reached 32, and was finally getting a chance to make his fantasies reality.

Here, in his ghastly dungeon, he had a 17-year-old girl tied up in his basement with nowhere to go. She had blue/brown-eyes and was raven-haired, its silken length touching the back of her knees; she was 5'8, but her shapely long legs couldn't make up for weighing only 125 pounds.

Her skin was a lovely bronze/caramel color, which she couldn't thoroughly identify. She had soft, tiny hands and feet, which wouldn't be good enough to fight a man off with, but it was worth a shot.

She had to fight to survive this, even if it meant breaking her finely manicured nails…

… or breaking the heels off of her $450 black Manolo Mary-Janes, complete with the cute white knee-high socks she got on sale…

… or ripping her plaid Aeropostale mini skirt (which was surprisingly in uniform at her school)…

… or getting dirt on her white New York and Company button-down uniform shirt…

She almost burst into tears just thinking about it.


	2. Captive Heart

She jumped again when she heard slow, heavy steps trudging down the stairs menacingly. She watched with a helpless expression as the dim light made out a pair of legs… then a torso… then an achingly painful bright light.

She whimpered and closed her eyes tight, trying to protect her unready eyes for the flood of light she wasn't yet adjusted to. Having lowered her head again, she slowly adjusted her eyes to the light, and dared to look upon the man who held her captive, who was shuffling around with tools on a workbench to her right.

He was, though she hated to say it, really attractive. He had eyes that resembled dead rubies and long black hair, though not as long, shiny, or volume-filled as hers. It was in a long braid that flowed gracefully down his back. His shoulders were broad and his arms and torso were riddled with mouth-watering muscles, both being almost as large as trees. She knew she wouldn't be able to fight him off for too long; he looked like he could eat her.

His hands and feet were large, and his hands looked like they were nowhere near gentle. As a matter of fact, he looked like he could crush her tiny, hourglass figure in only one of his hands. He wore a loose pair of blue jeans and a tight black wife-beater. On his feet were what appeared to be brown Timberland boots, and they were… quite stylish…

The girl shook her head furiously, pushing his style and looks out of her mind. She was tied to a chair and gagged, for goodness' sake!

She started to wildly wriggle and scream through the muffling force of her gag, trying to draw his attention. She tried to sound as angry and defiant as she could; after all, a good front could get you out of the perfect situation.

He found what he was looking for and turned to face her. Her heart almost stopped when she saw a big hunting knife in his hand. She pushed herself further into the chair, tightening her legs together and looking like the scared little schoolgirl she _actually_ was.

His face showed all seriousness. He walked over to her delicate, whimpering frame, towering over her like a being that ought not to be played with. He walked around behind her, where she couldn't see him. She began to whimper and moan when she felt him kneeling down and touching the back of the cloth in her mouth.

Suddenly, she felt the cloth loosen and fall, then saw his hand pull the rest of it out of her mouth and throw it to the floor. She took this time of her new freedom to lick her wounds, glad to find a good amount of her pink lip gloss still on her lips.

He stood back up behind the chair, moving her large, black curls back behind her. Then, oddly, he began to stroke her hair… gently and calmly. She felt her body relax, even though she kept thinking of the possible danger she could be in.

"W-Who are you?" she demanded, trying to sound confident but her voice cracked.

It was then that he spoke.

"Listen closely," he stated in a quiet, deep, smooth voice. She almost melted, but had to stay alert. "I'm going to cut you loose, but only if you promise to behave. Do you understand?"

She jerked. "N-No! I don't even know where I am- why did you bring me here-!"

She was cut off when the hunting knife's blade suddenly kissed her neck, and stayed there. She whimpered and remained silent, afraid that any more noise might tempt him to run it across her neck. She knew all too well what happened then.

She swallowed hard, and again he spoke, just as coolly as before, "I will not tolerate such insolence from you, little girl. Now, I will repeat myself, and I will never do so again during your stay here: "I'm going to cut you loose, but only if you promise to behave... Do you understand?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she pursed her lips together before whispering, "Yes…"

He removed the knife from her neck.

"That's a good girl," he answered solemnly. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

From there he made short work of the ropes that bound her. They fell to the floor with an audible thump, and he pulled the ropes that fell in her lap off of her. Then, he cut of the ones around her ankles.

She sighed shakily as she rubbed her arms, which had painful blue marks up and down them etched on by the ropes. Her ankles were better off because her socks were high and covered them. Her shirt, however, was short-sleeved, leaving the fragile skin of her arms vulnerable.

Her eyes still produced tears that she couldn't let him see fall. The large man walked around the chair so that he could squat in front of her. She stared at him defenselessly as she held herself and pinched her thighs together. Her stiletto heels clicked when she did so, adding an echo to the room's deathly silence.

He looked at her with his dooming red eyes, watching her watch him. He knew that she was growing tenser by the minute, and he knew that an anxious attitude was followed by a desperate move. He looked into her wondrously, seemingly hand-etched blue/brown eyes, and spoke.

"My name is Hiten, and I am the one who brought you here. I have you here because you bare great importance to an old nemesis of mine, and you can most likely get me close to him." He paused, watching her eyes go from helpless to helplessly confused. Salt droplets ran down her cheeks as he continued.

"While you are here, I demand your complete and utter obedience. Defiance and escape attempts **will not** be tolerated. Outside communication and travel are forbidden unless I say otherwise.

"To make sure you don't leave this house without my accompaniment, I have fitted the outside perimeter of this house with traps, barred the windows, and wired surveillance cameras throughout the property.

"You may be here for a while; how long, I can't tell you. I can tell you, however, that I don't _want_ to hurt you. But if you disobey me at any time, I _will_. Do I make myself clear…Angel?"

Angel's lip trembled as more tears flooded from her eyes. She held herself tighter and swallowed again. What could she do to get out of this? Who was he trying to get close to that she knew? Would someone rescue her in time?

Even with all of the questions flooding her head, Angel nervously began pulling at her skirt as his eyes bored into her flesh.

"Y-Yes…" she whimpered, finally looking him in the eyes.


	3. Coming Into Play

He flicked off the last light downstairs before heading out of the door. It was another exhausting day at the office, and he couldn't wait to hop into his Maybach and drive home.

As he walked out to the parking deck, he turned his blue eyes to his watch. It read 1:13 AM. He rolled his eyes and sighed, thinking of how he promised his girl that he'd be home by 12:27.

He chuckled, thinking of how he saw her face slowly fuse into confusion when he told her that. She asked her why he didn't just say 12:30 like any other guy. He gave her two answers: 1) He liked odd numbers, and 2) He wasn't any other guy.

Satisfied when he caught sight of his car, he forgot his fatigue and dashed to it, unlocking it and getting in, careful not to slam his braid into the car door. He turned on the ignition and took a short minute to relax into the vibrations it sent through his seat. A good two minutes passed before he finally pulled out of his reserved parking space and headed down into the streets.

He drove peacefully for a while, soft jazz music playing in the cabin. He was relaxed, at ease, and ready to go home to his woman. A wicked grin came to his lips when he thought of how she may have fallen asleep wearing the lingerie she wanted to wear for him. She wouldn't sleep for long, because he'd wake her up, and rock her and the bed all the way until dawn.

He was so deep in his fantasies that he almost missed the red light ahead of him. He abruptly stepped on the brake, yanking himself and his car to a halt before he could run the light. It wouldn't look good on his image if he infringed upon the slightest law. He was the son of a billionaire tycoon, and was just given his own branch to run, which he had just driven from. He had lot to be proud of at 21 ½ years old.

After he continued on his way, it took him a mere 15 minutes to pull up at the mini-mansion he owned. He parked his car in its spot among the assortment of expensive SUVs, sedans, and coupes, and jogged to the door.

He fumbled with keys, as usual, until he finally found it. He fought with the lock, won, and entered the house. Dropping his briefcase to the floor, he eased out of his coat, hanging it on the rack by the door.

"Baby!" he called, loosening his tie. "Hey, I'm home!" He waited, hanging the tie next to his coat and walking to the phone in the living room. Not a light was on in the house, but he knew where he was headed.

Then, he noticed something peculiar. In the kitchen, the stainless steel refrigerator was wide open. As much as his girlfriend loved her little fruits and desserts from time to time, she would never risk spoiling any of it.

He cautiously walked into the kitchen, looking around. He hoped to catch sight of her, but he saw no one. Slowly, he grasped the handle of the fridge and looked inside. He saw something else startling.

One of the beers in the brand new case he brought out last night was missing. His girl never drank. She told him herself that she thought beer smelled "icky". He stared at the case blankly.

"Baby girl?" he called again, worry hinting at his tone. Could somebody else have been in the house?

He closed the refrigerator door and walked hastily out to the living room, flicking on the light as he walked in. He was about to search the second floor of the house for his missing lady when a blinking orange light caught his eye.

It was the answering machine.

The blinking orange light meant that there was a new message. This also upset him. No matter how much of a busy man he was, all of his associates, and even his short line of family, knew to never _ever_ call him at all hours of night. He made it painfully clear that it would disturb his, his girlfriend's, or even his dog's sleep.

Then another thought struck him… His dog.

His Doberman pinscher never failed to jumped into his arms when he came home. All of a sudden, however, he was nowhere to be seen. He knew he wasn't outside; the little dude just didn't dig staying outside that long.

"Kurt!" he called to the canine, clapping his hands and whistling. He was stunned to see no happy, bounding, colossal dog running toward him.

"What the fuck is goin' on?" he asked himself aloud before going to the answering machine. Maybe she left him a message about all this…

"_You have two new messages,"_ the automated voice stated. He impatiently pressed play and listened.

"_First message: Hi, sweetheart!"_ his girlfriend's voice sang, making him relieved to hear her bubbly voice. _"I'm sorry it's so last minute, but dance practice is going to be held today from 4 to 6:30. Call me back when you get this or you can just see me at home around 7! I love you, and feed Kurt when get home!"_

Click.

As the voice rattled off the number and time information for the message, which he knew, he began to think. Now he had a whole world of shit to worry about. It was one o'clock in the morning and his girl was still missing when she was supposed to be home around seven, _and_ his dog was MIA too. Plus, if clearly no one had been here from 4 PM to 1 AM, who the hell stole a beer, left the fridge open, and-

"_Last Message: Hello, Bankotsu,"_ a cold, menacing voice greeted.He almost snapped his neck to look at the machine.

'Hell no…' he panicked mentally, yanking the machine off the table and glaring fire at it. 'It can't be this bastard!'

"_Listen up. I decided that you and I kind of drifted apart. It's time we got reacquainted after what you did. But first I decided to do you a few favors. I picked your girl up from school for you today, and, damn, does this Catholic schoolgirl uniform look sexy on her… too bad she couldn't put up a better fight, but you know better than anyone how well, and fast, chloroform works…"_

"Goddammit, you bastard!!" Bankotsu roared, almost throwing the phone to the wall. He recomposed himself as the voice continued.

"_But don't worry, I haven't touched her… yet. And, being the gentleman I am, I decided to swing by your house and pick up a few things for her. I wasn't counting on the dog though… my condolences. Oh, and I helped myself to one of your beers if you don't mind. You know I always used to do that. But anyway, lets cut to the chase."_

Bankotsu paced around the room like a fierce predator, enraged at the situation and how _he_ dared to call his home and confess all this. This asshole kidnapped his girlfriend, killed the dog he grew up with, and even had the balls to make himself comfortable in his own house!

"_I have little Angel here with me, and the only way you'll get her back is if send a taped confession to me and the police. And you know what to confess, so don't give me shit about not remembering. You recall damn well what you did long ago! Keep in mind that the longer it takes you to do as I asked, the longer I'm gonna be keeping this little minx with me… and believe me, I'll enjoy that. And no cops unless you got that confession for 'em; otherwise, we'll be long gone before you or they can find us!"_

"FUCK!!" he bellowed, picking up the coffee table and throwing it into the wall. It shattered into chips on impact, but even this couldn't soothe his rage.

"_Well, that's all you need to know. Bye-Bye, Bankotsu… from your old pal Hiten. P.S. You might wanna get your tape recorder ready if you don't want me under your girl's skirt before the week is out-"_

The message never fully finished, for he had snatched it out of the wall and subjected it to the same fate as the table. His breath grew quick and shallow, and his chest heaved in and out. He fell to his knees and punched the floor, grabbing his head after the impacts.

He knew his past would come back to haunt him, but what was he to do? He couldn't confess his sins to the police, because then he'd go to prison. He'd lose the company, the pride of his family, and maybe even Angel. He couldn't risk any of that. He couldn't even call the police about this, because then he'd have to play the message for them. They would hear that he had a confession for them, and they would squeeze it out of him.

He knew he had to find a way to save her and get rid of Hiten once and for all… but how?

Then, a thought came to him. He had a few old friends in the police force; they were the best homicide detectives in the city. He knew that if he needed police help but wanted to keep it quiet, he could call them.

He grabbed his cell phone, intending to do just that. But then it began ringing all its own.


	4. A Short Phone Call

Bankotsu looked at his watch incredulously. 2:43 AM. From this, he decided that it was Hiten, ready to harass him once more. He almost jammed the button through the phone answering the call.

"Where the fuck is Angel?!" he snapped into the receiver less than an inch from his mouth.

"Woah, man, I haven't seen her!" his best friend defended. Bankotsu sighed in both relief and frustration. "What's up with you?"

"Jakotsu, my girlfriend is missing!" he shouted anxiously. He heard him sigh.

"Relax, alright? She may be at home and forgot to call, but I gotta tell you, man, you're not gonna believe this. Turn on your TV."

Bankotsu, still worried and yet still curious, did as he was instructed. He almost dropped the phone to the floor when he saw Hiten's mug shot on the screen. He turned up the volume, listening closely to the news anchor.

"_Hiten Raiju, who is 20 years of age, 6'1, and 260 pounds, was released from prison earlier this week. He received time off of his sentence for good behavior. We remember him as the man who needlessly killed a civilian soldier during a procedure by police to detain a terrorist bombing threat, among other crimes. Raiju, who is an ex-special-units officer here in Miami, offered no comment to the press."_

"The guys and I thought you needed to know," he told his shaken friend, who was devastated that he was just now learning this.

Bankotsu punched a hole into the wall, furious. "Damn, I could have protected her if I knew this shit sooner!! She wouldn't be in danger right now if I hadn't worked so late! Fuck, this is my fault!!"

As he went on berating himself, Jakotsu was perplexed.

"Aniki, what's all your fault? Who are you talking about?" he inquired over his yelling.

"Ja, get the guys together; that means ALL of our homicide detective friends! I need their help- I CAN'T go to the police for this, man-"

"Okay, okay! But what is up with you? What's the problem?"

"Hiten still blames me for what happened to him. After he got out, he fuckin' came to Angel's school and kidnapped her, came to my house and killed my dog, and he wants a 'confession' for what I did- I mean, what he _thinks_ I did!" he stressed, pacing feverishly around the room.

He felt like everything was crashing down around him. All of his emotions merged into one sickening solution, and it was threatening to purge him at any moment. He felt rage, confusion, scorn, despair, anxiety, loathing, fear, and worry all swirling in his heart.

"WHAT?!" Jakotsu screamed, "This is horrible! Is she okay? Did that bastard touch her? If he did, I swear to God-"

"I don't know yet, Ja! Just get the guys together and we'll meet at your house in six hours. I gotta stay in a hotel tonight; I don't wanna mess with any evidence the guys might find."

"No, don't stay in a hotel, stay with me! Besides, it would be safer if he decides to come after you-"

"Save your concern for Angel! I'll be fine!" Click.

With that, Bankotsu angrily packed himself a large bag, and called ahead to the nearest Hilton.


	5. New Settings

Angel continued to hug herself as she watched Hiten dispose of the ropes he cut off of her. He tossed the heavy binds effortlessly into the furnace, and she jumped and gasped when the furnace's once smoldering fire burst to life with a small howl.

Hiten looked back over to Angel incredulously. She blushed and avoided his gaze, hugging herself even tight. He couldn't believe how frail she was all of a sudden. He had been watching her all week, and he saw that she was a happy, bubbly, innocent girl who had a lot of friends and participated in many activities.

He also knew that she was envied as the most beautiful girl in the school. He believed the claim, for he saw it with his own eyes. Her hair glimmered and it bounced with every move, not ever losing its curl. Her eyes were dominantly an icy blue, but a brown splash of hazel brown made a circle around her pupil. She had the strangest eyes he'd ever seen, yet they were the most beautiful.

Her lips were of a perfect size, not thin or thick, and the pink lip gloss made them even more luscious. Her legs were shapely and long, the skin on them, as well as the rest of her skin, flawless.

The non-pleated plaid skirt she wore managed to cover a plump and nicely-rounded rear, and it came up a little when she moved. Sinful thoughts filled him when he saw it, _and_ her torso's shape. The shirt she wore hugged her frame like a second skin, and he could easily trace her hourglass figure and her large bust with his fingers…

He quickly pulled his eyes off of her before he was motivated to go against his principles. He stood and walked over to her, and she noticeably trembled. He sighed.

"Relax," he told her, squatting in front of her and placing his hands on her knees, which were clenched together.

She took a deep breath and exhaled unsteadily. She continued to avoid his gaze. Angel then noticed sweat on her brow, and wiped it away. Hiten noticed this, and looked around the basement. It was a bit humid down there. He looked back to her.

"Is it hot down here for you?" he asked in the same solemn voice. She nervously pulled at her skirt and nodded. "Stand up, and come with me. We're going upstairs."

Angel obeyed standing and taking some of her hair over her shoulder and into her hands. She repeatedly smoothed it in an attempt to calm her burning desire to take off running. She knew he was not only stronger than her, but could also chase her down and make her wish she hadn't run away.

She slowly made her way toward the stairs, subconsciously whimpering as he followed close behind. Her Mary-Janes clicked against the harsh floor and echoed throughout the room. She breathed as though she were afraid of every sound.

Her timid behavior was cute to him, but it was beginning to annoy him as her slow pace and whimpering were clear signs that she had not yet relaxed. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, and this wasn't the way to do it.

When she finally reached the foot of the stairs, he reared his hand back and underhanded her, hard, on her rear. She yelped and whimpered even louder when she realized that his hand went under her skirt and struck her flesh.

He then took her by the shoulder and pressed her against the wall. She clamped her hands together in front of her chest and stared in horror as he pinned her between his large arms.

His eyes watched her cower, and again, he thought her cute. But he had to enforce what he told her about obedience earlier.

"I said relax, did I not?" he demanded quietly, almost nose to forehead with her.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry, I-" she stumbled, looking away from him and to the stairs, thinking of making a break for it.

"_Look at me,"_ he hissed. She felt tears spring to her eyes. A pain burned the inside of her throat as she turned to look into his piercing eyes. "Good. Now, turn to those stairs, and walk up there," he instructed sternly, removing his arms from around her.

She moved to do as he said, taking the first step on the staircase. She stiffened when she felt huge hands take hold of her hips.

Hiten felt her stiffen. His grip was tight as first, but then he loosened his fingers a bit, keeping a firm, yet gentle hold on her.

"Relax," he ordered calmly. She took a deep breath, then continued up the stair, his hands never leaving her.

He followed her up the stairs, not wanting to let go. He enjoyed feeling the sway of her hips in his hands, and seeing the lacy pink underwear she wore every time she lifted her leg to step up.

He smirked as she opened the door. He had thoughts of "accidentally" slipping his hand up her skirt, hooking his finger in the rim of her panties, and slowly pulling off the material as she walked up into the house. There a couch immediately in view; maybe he could-

Angel gasped. She had just stepped into the house above the dungeon. It was unlike anything she expected. She slowly walked into the room, letting him upstairs as well. He kept one arm wrapped around her waist, just to make sure she didn't make a split for the front door.

However, she wasn't too interested in escape at the moment. She was staring at the royal decoration of the spacious living room. Porcelain, gold, and white decorated the room. There was a large entertainment center on the west wall, complete with a large plasma TV, speakers, and other devices like a DVD player, an audio system, and a digital cable box.

There was plushy white carpet on the floor. Her feet sank into it comfortably from where she stood. There was a hallway and another set of stairs to her right. Polished mahogany wood made up the railings. Everything seemed big enough to house an elephant in.

The house was gorgeous. It wasn't the run-down cabin she expected with the smell of chopped wood and dead squirrels littering her nose.

She turned to look at him, and he looked back at her, grinning.

"Your house is… lovely," she whispered, averting her gaze again. He tenderly lifted her chin so she could face him.

"Thank you," he answered firmly. She blushed from being so close to his handsome face.


	6. Breaking the Rules

"Now, then," he began as austerely as before, "We are the only two people here. Do **not** think that because I am the only one guarding you, you can escape. I have eyes all over this house. Do you understand me?"

She trembled slightly, then nodded.

He cocked an eyebrow. "You will make your answers _audible_ here," he growled, "Do… you… under… stand?"

She let out a small whimper. She then whispered, "Y-Yes."

He relaxed his face. "Good. Now I will show you to your room."

He pulled her along using the arm around her waist, leading her up the stairs. He walked briskly, and she stumbled on a step, screaming in the process.

His strong arm held her steady, and she found herself hugging his chest frantically. They had come to a complete stop on the stairs, and she had two fistfuls of his shirt.

"Angel, I know for a fact that you've never screamed like that whenever you've stumbled on a step," he stated coldly. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him, her long eyelashes almost swiping his face.

"I don't," she answered confidently, surprising him. Her eyes became bold as well. "It's because I've been kidnapped and am being held hostage!"

She shrieked when he yanked her up easily by her waist and he carried her the rest of the way while she kicked and screamed. She scratched his arm with her nails, forgetting the fear she had for their safety earlier. She flailed her 3 ½ inch heels wildly about, hoping to kick his in the back, which she did a few times.

Her sudden defiance angered him, and he tried to keep as much of his self-control as possible.

He opened the door to the room she was staying in, stomped inside, and threw her onto the bed. She shrieked, even though the soft white sheets and mattress didn't hurt her.

She sat up immediately and began to crawl away, pulling her hair behind her ear. He stood near the foot of her bed with clenched fists at his sides, glaring at her. She decided to be brave and defiantly stared back.

"Did I or did I not tell you that defiance **will not **be tolerated?" he shouted. She flinched, but quickly recovered.

"I heard you the first time, and I **will not** be used as bait in your sick little game!" she yelled back, trying to make her tiny voice menacing.

He was taken aback by this sudden bravery, but didn't show it. Instead he took an angry step toward her. She jumped and felt around the bed, trying to find anything to defend herself with.

She quickly found a throw pillow, and, when he grabbed for her, she started hitting him with it, struggling and screaming the whole way. She aimed at his head, holding him off while he continually grabbed for her swinging arms while dodging her kicking feet.

"Hold still, brat!" he bellowed. All she did was struggle more.

"No!" she yelled defiantly. Then, she began to panic when he bypassed her feet and laid between her leg on top of her torso. "Get OFF!" she shrieked.

Realizing he now had the upper hand, he used both one hand to snatch the pillow out of her hand and threw it away. She screamed louder when he grabbed both her arms and held them down beside her head.

She struggled against his vice grip and crushing weight, shrieking and screaming like the helpless girl she was. He only grew angrier.

Swiftly, he grabbed her shoulders and slammed her back onto the bed as hard as he could.

"SILENCE!" he roared, earning his command when she went quiet.

Her hair covered most of the top part of the bed, sprawled all over. She stared at him in fear. He observed her as her chest heaved up and down, and looked beneath him to see her skirt hiked up, revealing a soft pink, lacy thong.

He immediately had lustful thoughts, but pushed them aside. Her behavior earned this girl punishment, not pleasure.

Then, Hiten let go of the silent girl, allowing her to scamper to the middle of the headboard. Yet and still, she glared at daggers at him.

He released a frustrated sigh. He liked her fire, which he knew she had to build up inside. He greatly admired her for it, but he had to break her spirit; not temporarily this time, but permanently.

He stared at her angrily, only to be met by her icy eyes in the utter _dis_obedience he warned her against.

"You have acted exceedingly defiant," he growled. She only threw a pillow at him, another brave yet dangerous maneuver.

He caught the plushy item and threw it to the floor in a flash. She gasped when he gritted his teeth and his large chest began to heave up and down. She knew as well as he did that she struck a nerve. Angel gasped again when he unexpectedly smiled thoughtfully at her.

Unsure of what to expect, she grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest. He spoke in an ominous voice that greatly contrasted his smile.

"Fine. Since you wish to behave like an errant child," he began, unbuckling and taking off his thick belt, "You will be punished like one."


	7. Must Be Punished

Angel felt herself take another sharp intake of breath, watching in horror as he folded the belt in half. She screamed in a petrified manner when he made a swift grab for her ankle.

She yanked her leg back, causing him to barely miss it. Hiten growled, but kept his charming smile, now showing her all thirty-two teeth. He moved to one side of the bed to grab her, but she scrambled to the opposite side.

Angel was almost off the bed when she felt his hand clamp her ankle. She shrieked and gripped the sheets desperately as he pulled her closer and closer. She turned and used her free leg to kick at him. Annoyed, he simply flipped her back onto her stomach.

He grabbed her fleshy thighs and pulled her back until her hips hung over the edge of the bed.

"_No!_" she shrieked in a voice that cracked to a higher note. She suddenly felt cold air on her behind and gasped.

She looked behind her to see her tiny plaid skirt bunched up at her waist and her dainty pink thong exposed for the world to see. She began shrieking and reached back, trying desperately to pull her skirt back down as her face burned with humiliation. His hand, already being the size of a bear paw, blocked her attempts.

A wicked grin replaced his charming smile despite himself. He saw the handprint he left there from earlier; it was faintly pink on her delicious bronze/caramel skin. He secretly enjoyed that, although he didn't enjoy having hurt her.

Now, he had the even greater pleasure of seeing the full display of her cute little pink thong. An even more fulfilling sight was watching her scramble to hide her lovely mound from him while making those adorable noises. He felt blood rushing to his groin.

Desperate, Angel looked back at him with pleading, tear-filled eyes. He looked at her with mischief in his own red eyes.

"Stop it!" she squeaked, still struggling against his mammoth strength. He chuckled darkly.

Because his right hand was busy holding her hands behind her back, he reached up and began caressing her soft locks with the same hand that held the belt. The belt inadvertently fell into clear view of her eyes, and she whimpered like a frightened little girl.

The belt looked rough like a fresh buffalo hide. It was also as thick as her thumb nail was wide. It was long, black, and menacing; just like Daddy's belt. Tears escaped her eyes as he removed his hand from her hair.

Angel began to sob uncontrollably, thinking of the throbbing pain her father bestowed upon her only once before his death. She had broken her neighbor's window on purpose to deserve it, and they both felt guilt when it was all over. Her father cried almost as hard as she did, repeatedly apologizing to her and swearing to never hurt his little girl.

For some reason, she had the idea that this monster of a man wasn't going to cradle her on his lap and console her when he was finished spanking her.

Suddenly, she felt a swoosh in the air and a world of stinging pain hit her across the butt. She screamed like a kicked puppy and bit into the sheets in an attempt to further stomach the pain. Anguished sobs racked her body as he hit her again, this one across her thighs.

Loud whacks echoed through the room as he swung the belt hard against her delicate skin, leaving red welts along her rear end and the backs of her thighs. She shrieked after each lash, her tears and saliva staining the sheets as she bit them in grief.

Hiten just blocked out her voice and continued along with his retribution. He couldn't afford to show her mercy, but he did without knowing it. He avoided hitting the same place twice.

Finally, after ten lashings, let her hands go. Weak and still crying sorrowfully, she slowly crawled onto the bed. He watched her crying and attempting to rub her wounds, only to recoil her hand at the sharp pain she was causing herself. He put his belt back on and headed for the door.

"I hope that now you will do as you are told," he told her grimly, "Stay here and think about what you did wrong and your punishment for it."

With that, he promptly left the room, closing and locking the door from the outside.

Angel hadn't even looked up. She kept her face buried in the pillows. The welts on her body pulsated ferociously, and more tears spilled from her eyes. She gripped the pillows she was laying on in her small fists.

Her crying and moaning were the only things she had to console herself. She wished that her boyfriend was to help her.

She missed her barbarian; the one who would beat a guy to a bloody pulp for looking at her. The one who would bring her roses in the morning just because he loved her, not for an apology, praise, or even sex. The one who didn't hesitate to offer her a massage after dance practice when he himself had just gotten home from a hectic day at work. She broke down in tears again just thinking about him.

'_Bankotsu, wherever you are, please help me…'_ she begged inside her mind. After shedding more tears, she finally drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, Hiten listened silently outside her door. When he closed and locked the door, he never left. He partly wanted to just to make sure she didn't try anything. Another part of him… _wanted_ to stay. Something pulled him to her, though he didn't know what.

Finally, when he heard her hushed sleeping, he towed himself away from the door and to his study. Large mahogany double doors awaited at the end of the open hall. Using a key he kept in his pocket at all times, he opened the doors. A large room with cherry wood office furniture awaited him.

He circled the desk and sat down. Then he reached over to a remote on his desk, pointed it at the floor in the middle of the room, and an automated wooden cabinet rose out of the floor. Here, six flat screens were mounted.

He pressed another button on the remote, turning on the screens. Each bore a different view of the area around the house from outside. As daylight made the images clearer, he decided that there was clearly no one out there.

Pressing the previous buttons, he retracted the screens again. He sighed and sat back in his chair. Then, he looked at the photo on the wall of himself in what used to be his special-units uniform.

His heart filled with anger when he thought of how he could still have been a celebrated officer. But he lost it all when he went to prison on a false charge.

Unable to hold in his anger, he jumped up and swiped everything off his desk and into the wall. He took a few breaths, just like his doctor told him, and he was alright again.

'_Revenge will come soon for me, and all I have to do is be patient,'_ he thought grimly.

He stared at the ground, scratching his head. Then, a shiny, silver picture frame caught his eye. Drawn to the picture it held, he gravitated to it. He picked it up, annoyed that he shattered the glass that kept the picture there.

He stared lovingly at the picture, caressing it with his hand.

"One day, love," he promised, "One day we'll be together."


	8. Cryptic Realization Part 1

Angel's eyes slowly fluttered open, barely awake. She expected to be adjusting her eyes to the blinding light that the sun shined through the large windows. However, she was slightly surprised to see that it was now a weak blue outside.

Angel rose slowly from the bed. Her legs and bottom still ached a little from her bruises, but she sucked it up and walked over to the window. She gingerly pulled back the white gossamer curtains and opened one of the blinds.

She was right. It was nightfall, and she could barely see. She did catch sight of a small, blinking red light on the side on the house; it was no bigger than a dot. She squinted and moved closer to get a better look at it.

Her heart slowly broke when she realized what it was: a surveillance camera. Hiten was telling the truth. He _had_ set up surveillance cameras outside of the house. She continued to stare at it mournfully, losing hope of any escape.

Then, a curved, silver stripe where the camera was revolved in a half circle and the red light turned green and stopped blinking. Angel jumped back and away from the window. She didn't know what the camera did, but she knew that the silver stripe was the lens rotating and that going from red to green meant start.

She didn't want to draw his attention, as he knew he might have been watching. Instead, she went to explore the room.

She walked into the middle of the room, observing what she could without turning on any lights. Her jaw almost dropped as she looked around.

The room was fit for a princess. There sat a queen-sized, four-poster canopy bed on the back wall, the one she had just gotten out of. Judging by the shine the headboard and footboard gave off, she could tell that they were polished and wooden, painted white to match. She noted the light, transparent curtains that hung on the bed, which could be pulled to cover the entire bed if she wanted. A lovely silver bench with what seemed to be a white cushion sat at the foot of the bed.

There was a thick, plushy comforter on the bed, and she could tell by how well she slept that the mattress was memory foam. That was the only kind she could sleep through the night on.

'_Did Hiten know this?'_ she thought abruptly, a bit suspicious that a man she never knew had information only her boyfriend would know.

Dismissing it, she kept looking around. She caught the white door chest on the wall to her right, which was next to the door. She walked over to it and counted five drawers with silver handles, then opened the little door matching the total length of the doors. A little light came on inside it when the door got wide enough.

Angel gasped and her hand flew to her mouth when she saw all of her jewelry and trinkets in the little closet. Her necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, hair accessories, and all of her other items were there. Either they were neatly hanging up on the small hooks or they were sitting tidily in the suede-lined drawers.

Angel closed the door quickly, trying to swallow the shock. She began to back away from the chest. Suddenly, she tripped and landed on something cushy. She turned around to see a white, leather ottoman.

Continuing to look around, she caught sight of a dresser/mirror, which was white like everything else. Along it surface were familiar bottles of perfumes, lotions, brushes, and other objects. It took nothing but a second for her to realize that they all were her own. Her heart thumped a mile a minute.

She wondered if more of her belongings were in there. Hasty but quiet, she dashed over to it. She slowly opened the top drawer, afraid of what she'd find. Inside there was randomly flimsy and lastingly-shaped materials. They were of different colors, she could tell, but there was not enough light for her to know what colors.

Anxious to know, she pulled out one of the lighter fabrics. Now, hanging from her finger, she was looking at her own translucent, DDD-cup bra. Angel gasped, dropped it back into the drawer, and shut it as tight as she could.

She frantically moved to the drawer directly under that one and snatched it open. There, neatly folded, were her blouses and shirts. The next drawer… her jeans. The drawer parallel to that one… her countless mini skirts. The drawer above that… her pajamas, which were all short-short and spaghetti-strap sets. The drawer above _that_… well, the rest of her lingerie.

After assaulting the dresser, she ran back to the chest that held the jewelry and checked its drawers. In each drawer was a different piece of… her school uniform? She went back to the top drawer and pulled out an unmistakable gold and silver pin that she always wore to school mandatorily.

She literally dropped it and pushed the drawer back closed. She looked over at the closet door. She slowly crept toward it. She opened the door, and, with a quaking hand, turned on the light.

She collapsed to her knees when she caught sight of **every** shoe, coat, and dress she owned hung up, stacked up, and sitting in rows in the walk-in closet. It was as big as the room she grew up in as a little girl at her parents' house. Some of her many pairs of shoes, from Air Force One sneakers to Jimmy Choo heels, were lined up along the sides under the clothes. The rest were placed neatly along the little wood cabinets on the back wall.

Tears filled her eyes and she frantically turned off the light and closed the door. Her breathing became shallow- no, she _couldn't_ breathe.

What was this man getting at? Why was her room so well decorated, spacious, and comfortable? Why was everything she owned in this house as if she lived here all her life? Did he expect her to continue going to school as if she wasn't a hostage? She couldn't answer any of these questions… and was afraid to know the answers.


	9. Cryptic Realization Part 2

Tears flooded her eyes once again. She tried to hold in her tears, to be strong, but she found herself unable to. She was a strong girl before, but she was only pretending. She couldn't pretend, however, that she was a fragile, terrified girl who was completely at this guy's mercy.

She already was.

Suddenly, she felt aggravation wash over her, and, like the schoolgirl she was, ran over to her bed and flopped down on it. She buried her face in the sheets, kicking and swinging her small fists into the mattress as she bawled.

"_This isn't fair!"_ she yelled into the sheets, stopping all movement and continuing to cry.

"What isn't fair?" a familiar, steel voice asked.

Angel stopped crying outwardly, stifling her noises. She looked up with a tear-strained face. There stood Hiten at the foot of the bed, looking at her incredulously. She didn't speak for a while; she only stared at him helplessly.

He stared back, confused by how she could still be crying eight hours after her punishment. A three-year-old would have carried on better than she!

Impatient, he growled, "Well?"

To his horror, she sniffled and buried her face back into the bed, wailing louder than ever. His eyes got wide. What did he say to her to make her so upset?

Not knowing what to do, he ran to the side of the bed to console her. Unfortunately, he was so afraid to upset her more that every time he tried to reach over and touch her, he nervously withdrew his hand. Instead, he decided to talk her down. After all, the whole crying thing was getting pretty old, even if it was terrifyingly sweet.

"Angel?" he asked cautiously.

"_Go away!"_ she yelled sorrowfully, only to have her command muffled into a soft request by the bedding.

"Angel… um… I'm sorry!" he stammered, desperate for words. He didn't mean to find those to though.

Angel stopped wailing and slowly looked up at him.

Although still dreading what he said, he smiled when he saw her eyes watch him, sparkling with both tears and hope. She sat up, sniffling, and pulled her hair behind her ear and out of her face.

"Really?" she whispered.

He nodded, sitting beside her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his chest. His words were thoroughly unintentional, but he could at least act like he meant them… and reap the benefit.

Angel, already lacking a boyfriend to hold her, impulsively leaned in and laid her head on his warm chest. She blushed and closed her eyes peacefully, their closeness bringing her tears to a halt. He reached up and stroked her hair, just as he had a few times since she'd awakened downstairs.

He buried his nose in her ebony hair, inhaling the sweet aroma of vanilla from her. He subconsciously twirled her hair around his finger as he held her still closer, not wanting to let go.

"Hiten?" she asked in the baby-doll whisper she'd so often used when afraid.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to sound irritated.

"What were you apologizing about?"

"I… I shouldn't have… hit you so many times," he spoke into her hair. He felt her shiver.

She was probably remising over the pain… the anguish that she felt and could probably still feel.

"Does it still hurt?" he inquired. She nodded. "Very well. I'll run a bath for you-"

"I don't need one," she growled, pushing away.

She hopped off the bed and sat on the ottoman in the middle of the room, leaving him sitting there in a confused fashion. She didn't know what prompted her to do this, and he didn't either. She turned her back to him.

Angel crossed her arms as tightly as she could. She guessed it was because she just remembered that he lugged her up the stairs, beat her, and moved all of her things into his house like a child that was rebellious about a divorce. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to try to console her like one!

But then, she let out a long sigh. Even when she was determined to get away from her captor, yet she was so desperate for someone to hold her that she fell right into his arms. An ache gripped her heart; she was ashamed. Without provocation, tears climbed into her eyes once again. This time, however, he was not going to see them.


	10. Last Resort

Hiten had to admit that he grew weary of this girl's constant change in character. He rolled his eyes and stood.

"Why not? And while you're answering that, what the hell is your problem?" he snarled.

"What difference does it make?!" she shrieked, jumping up from the ottoman to face him. "You're still gonna keep me here against my will and abuse me! Oh, and by the way? I'm not too keen on letting the same guy who yanked my skirt up give me a BATH!"

"FIRST OF ALL!" he bellowed, crossing the room only to have her run from him, "You **will not** raise your voice at me, you impertinent wench! Second, I don't care if you want to go home! If I did, you wouldn't be here!"

Angel screamed when he grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall harshly. All she could do was stare wide-eyed at him as he continued his rampage, unknowingly squeezing the blood out of her small arms. His eyes pictured fire and she held her tongue to avoid the flames.

"I will keep you here until that bastard gives me what I want! Lastly, I was NOT going to bathe you myself, and had you behaved, I wouldn't have had to pull up your skirt and whip you!"

He loosened his grip on her arms and lowered his voice to a menacing growl. He let go of one of her arms and pointed his finger warningly in her face. She shrank away, but the wall blocked any further escape. She anxiously wanted to rub her nearly disabled arms, but forced herself to remain still. Her heart thumped out of control, and she tried to silence her whimpering… to no avail, of course.

"Now, I will not simply berate you the next time you disobey me. I will punish you, and it will be more painful than you could ever imagine…"

A cruel smirk etched across his face as he inched closer to hers. His lips leveled with hers, and she curved her head to pull away. Now she was eye-level with him, to her dismay.

He whispered huskily into her lips, "…and humiliating."

She gasped in horror. He couldn't be serious could he? But then she remembered what brought her to this position in the first place.

Gathering all her strength, she shoved him back as far as she could, which wasn't far. He stumbled back to the ottoman, staring at her in disbelief. Then, she ran for the door when he lunged at her. She heard him let out a strained grunt from the hallway; a sign that he had hit the wall as hard as he meant to hit her.

She ran down the stairs as fast as her heels could take her. It was dark, and she had no idea where she was going, but she knew she had to find the front door. She ran through the living room she saw, and then ran to the open room next door, which appeared to be the dining room. She maneuvered carefully around the objects she couldn't even see.

Angel panicked when she heard his heavy footsteps coming down the stairs fast… and angry. She snatched off her heels to prevent giving herself away as she ran quickly, yet quietly through the dining room and into what appeared to be the kitchen.

"ANGEL!" he roared, his voice echoing through the house thunderously.

Hiten unknowingly took the same path that she had. Angel could tell by listening, and her heart was close to jumping out of her chest. Not knowing what to do, she ran past a room with a bar and an alcove parallel to each other. She rounded the corner and her hand flew to her mouth.

She was back at the basement door and the stairs.

Hiten looked under, behind, and inside everything she could possibly fit in, whether it be a couch, a table, a closet, or even the refrigerator. Angry when he didn't find her, he swiped everything off the counter the same way he had done with his office desk. He broke a coffee pitcher and dismembered other appliances in the process.

"How DARE you hide from ME!" he roared, "WHERE ARE YOU?! COME OUT, NOW!" He continued on to the kitchen, unknowingly feet away from her.

Angel, hearing the enraged beast coming near her, circled around the stairs and down the hallway she saw earlier. It was dark, but she could tell from earlier that there were five doors, and she was sure she could hide in one. After feeling around on the walls, she found a door and tried to open it, only to find it locked as she shook the knob. She moved further down to a door on her left; it too was locked.

"_No…" _she moaned in a whisper, looking back to make sure he wasn't following her.

She heard him now ransacking the bar and slamming a closet door. Hearing him getting closer, she looked down the hallway. The sight that beheld her was unmistakably what she was looking for.

There, with decorative windows and a beautiful golden handle, was the front door, with a dim streak of light coming through it. She wasted no time sprinting for it, sliding into it when she arrived.

Her heart soared when she twisted the lock and she heard a click. She was getting out of here! She was going home to her Bankotsu, his dog Kurt, and her tiny Yorkie puppy, Baby! But then she noticed something.

The door refused to open.

"_No… no, no, no, please, God, NO!"_ she squeaked under her breath as she grasped the handle with both hands and shook it desperately.

She was pushing the button of the door handle so hard that it hurt, but she wasn't giving up. She was pulling the door so violently that it shook. Tears ran down her cheeks as she let go of the handles and looked out of the window. Someone was walking a dog under the street light.

Hiten threw the last bottle on the bar into the wall, agitated that he turned on every light and flipped over everything that wasn't nailed to the floor only to find no sweet, innocent, doomed Angel.

He stomped along to the next room, only to trip over something. He almost fell, and turned angrily to see what the object was. His eyes widened and he squatted down to look closer as he saw what he knew was Angel's Manolo heel. He put his hand on the insole of the shoe; it was still warm.

Not thinking twice, she began screaming and banging on the door.

"HELP! Help me, please, I'm over HERE!" she screamed.

The stranger outside stopped in his tracks and looked around. To her relief, he looked her way. She smiled and kept on going.

"YES! OVER HERE! Call for help! PLEASE, I've been kidnapped!!!" she pleaded, amazed that the man pulled his dog along and inched closer to the front yard.

"ANGEL!" she heard from down the dark hallway.

She looked back, frantic and sure that it was a boiling mad Hiten. But it was too dark to see anyone. Then the hall light switched on. She yelped and pressed her back to the door when she saw Hiten's hulking frame, standing at the other end of the hallway with his chest heaving and his face contorted in rage. His hands formed fists at his sides as he glared at her. She whimpered frantically and turned to the window.

"PLEASE **HURRY**! **HE'S** **HERE!!**" she cried. The stranger seemingly began to back away, though. "NOO!" she screeched, and he stopped in his tracks and reached into his pocket. There seemed to be a cell phone light there.

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" he bellowed, rushing toward her.

She screamed and dodged left into another room. It was as dark as the rest of the house, and she looked for a place to hide. She didn't have to look long, because he turned on the light, revealing every hiding place there was.

There was none.


	11. Time to Investigate

"So… let me get this straight," Renkotsu stated, surprisingly confused, "Hiten, an ex-cop who was **just** released from prison, decided that he would kidnap Angel, your girlfriend, to exact revenge on you and risk his freedom all over again?"

Bankotsu, still wired-up from earlier, nodded vehemently. It was 8:57 AM, and they were all at Jakotsu's house as scheduled. Renkotsu, Suikotsu, Kouga, Miroku, and Inuyasha, all making up the city's elite homicide detectives, had irritably dropped everything to see what had happened.

Renkotsu and Suikotsu put another homicide case on hold, Renkotsu showing up in brown slacks and a white long sleeved button-down with two guns in a double shoulder holster, and Suikotsu showing up with black slacks and a black muscle shirt with one gun in a belt holster. Both had badges on their belts, making sure they were as visible as their guns. Kouga snuck out of the house while Ayame was asleep, showing up in khaki cargo shorts and a sleeveless button down shirt, showing off a silver gun and a badge as well. Miroku called a babysitter early to take care of the twins he and Sango had had, wearing a conservative pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. He too had his badge on his belt, but he kept his gun in a pocket holster. Inuyasha had to cancel and reschedule a physical training session; he arrived wearing his regular scowl, baggy black pants, and a black wife-beater (the regular exercise outfit for him). He wore his badge around his neck, and he had a shoulder holster on him.

They had all sat patiently while Bankotsu gave them a heated explanation as to why they were called together. When he and Jakotsu called them all, they thought that they were scheduling another casual outing at the bar. They were sadly mistaken when they were told that Angel, who was like a baby sister to all of them, had been kidnapped. They were even more surprised by who had done it.

Renkotsu crossed his arms and sat back in his chair pensively. "Well what the hell does he want?" he asked, aggravated.

"Like I told you before, if you couldn't get it through your thick head, he wants a confession for some shit I didn't do!" Bankotsu snapped, close to throwing something else across the room.

Suikotsu, tired of hearing the unsolved mystery of the crime, gruffly asked, "What is it that you were supposed to have done?"

Again, Bankotsu tensed. "That's not important right now, dammit! What's important is getting Angel back before this nut-job hurts her. And if he does, I swear to God, I'll-"

"You won't have to do anything, Bankotsu," Miroku interrupted sternly, "It's only been fourteen hours since she disappeared. Do you think he really would hurt her?"

Bankotsu slammed his fist down on the table. They honestly had no clue what kind of guy Hiten was. But then again, he was the only one who knew him well enough for him to kidnap his girlfriend… and know where they lived in the first place. He had to admit, though- he put her in danger by even introducing her to him so many years ago.

He leaned across the table and venomously whispered, _"You should know that it doesn't take him long to harm innocent __**people**__."_

Miroku sighed and withdrew. "You have a point. He used to resort to the cruelest of tactics just to get information."

"Yeah, you guys remember when he broke that guy's arm in interrogation? He was suspended for a whole month. He almost lost his badge," Kouga reminisced, placing his hands behind his head leisurely.

"Then there was that other time when he put that chick's hair in a paper shredder. He stopped it before it could pull too hard, but it was still a vindictive thing to do."

"Still, though, I don't think the guy would do anything to hurt Angel…" Kouga stated, only to receive an icy glare from Bankotsu, "… badly, anyway."

"Look, the point of me calling you guys here in the first place is to make sure he doesn't hurt her AT ALL!" Bankotsu growled.

"Did you even _try_ to contact either of them to see if you may be too late?" Inuyasha scoffed, leaning further back in his chair with his feet arrogantly on the table.

Although he expected Bankotsu to snap at him, he instead got as white as a ghost and pulled out his phone. Everyone else let out loud, exasperated sighs. Bankotsu was one of the sharpest when it came to the big picture, but he missed even the smallest things that the rest of them would have checked first.

Miroku massaged the bridge of his nose, asking, "So that means you tried to move things around the house to look for clues, right?" He was hoping he said no; if he didn't, he probably destroyed over half of the evidence that could have been found.

"Hey shut up, it's ringing!" Bankotsu snapped, putting his Blackberry on speaker for everyone to listen. The machine picked up.

"_Hello, you have reached Angel's phone. She's not conscious right now, but leave a message and-"_

Bankotsu repeatedly shoved his finger into the "End" button, not wanting to hear any more of Hiten's dark, evil voice.

"DAMMIT!" he bellowed, ready to throw the device out of the window. Suikotsu jumped up and took it from him.

Hiten was smart, they all knew that. However, he showed his tech-savvy ways by cracking the password on Angel's phone to record another message. He had done something similar earlier by technologically erasing the return number on the answering machine at Bankotsu's house after the message finished playing. They all now knew that Angel probably didn't have access to a phone wherever she was. He didn't throw her phone away, though, or destroy it, and they didn't know why.

"Listen to the whole message, you idiot!" he scolded, going back to the number in the phone. He pressed speaker and everyone heard it ringing. "You're gonna miss something important."

The machine picked up again, and everyone anxiously gathered around.

"_Hello, you have reached Angel's phone. She's not conscious right now, but leave a message and Hiten, myself, will get back to you… Bankotsu."_

Bankotsu grimaced; he was calling him out.

"Try leaving a message," Suikotsu concluded.

"What? How the hell is that gonna help her?" he inquired, surprised.

"He said he'll get back to you. Let's see if he thinks he's smart enough to contact you again and remain concealed. More than likely, we'll be able to track him," he explained.

Bankotsu, seeing his point, snatched the phone and called again. After listening to the recording, he started into the phone like _it_ was the one that kidnapped Angel.

"LISTEN TO ME, YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH, IF YOU HURT HER, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN, SKIN YOU, THROW ACID ON YOU, DISMEMBER YOUR BODY, THEN SEND ALL THE PIECES TO YOUR FAMILY, YOU HEAR ME-"

Suikotsu snatched the phone and muffled the receiver. "Stop it! Calm down and remember that we lack information on his whereabouts!" he snapped at him, already pushed to his wit's end by his blatant stupidity. "Try to bait him. Ask him where he is and where he's keeping Angel. To make him think that you are blinded by your emotions, sound just as enraged as you did. He's bound to get cocky and reveal small pieces of information to you in a puzzling manner."

With that, he gave him back the phone. Bankotsu did as he was told, threw in some more choice words, and hung up.

Jakotsu stood. "Good, now what do we do?" he asked, impatient about sitting around. He was the only one there who wasn't or hadn't been a homicide detective, so of course he expected more action than this.

"_We_, meaning _us_ not _you_, Jakotsu, will now be going spreading out to investigate," Inuyasha snarled, still creeped out by the cross-dressing man who continually flirted with him.

Before Jakotsu could respond, Renkotsu started handing out tasks. "Suikotsu, Bankotsu, and I will go to Bankotsu's house to investigate. Maybe Hiten left more tracks than he realized. Inuyasha, you and Kouga will go down to Angel's school to ask the students, faculty, and neighboring business employees if they've seen anything suspicious. Miroku, I'm sorry, but I'll need you to go to her parents' house and make up a tale for why Angel's missing. Make it a field trip or something- anything airtight will do. If her parents find out she's been kidnapped, they'll go to the police, which Bankotsu clearly doesn't want. After all, they do like you the most."

They all nodded and immediately went to the door. Suikotsu and Renkotsu went to the curb and hopped into a black'66 Mustang GT350 with yellow stripes on the hood and a candy red Ferrari F430. Inuyasha advanced past the driveway to commandeer a sparkling sky blue '61 Oldsmobile Cutlass, a two-door coupe that went topless for the day, complete with white leather seats and the greatest sound system known to man. He parked a little down the street, away from the others; the man took a lot of pride in his car and didn't want a scratch on it. Kouga drove a cream-colored Linoln Mark LT; he always kept a luxury pickup truck because he enjoyed woodwork in his spare time these days… and it was nice to relax in with Ayame. Miroku drove a not-so-conservative white Range Rover. He had a family, so the extra room was needed, _and_ he needed something with much more style than a minivan.

As they all headed out to their separate locations, Bankotsu pulled a tiny black box out of his pocket. He opened it, staring at the princess cut, 1.5 carat diamond ring. The band was platinum and bore nothing else. It was breathtakingly beautiful and modest, just like Angel.

He snapped it shut and put it back in his pocket, praying that Angel was alright as he followed Suikotsu and Renkotsu along.

Renkotsu had his own thoughts as they neared Bankotsu's small mansion. Bankotsu was quite touchy whenever the crime Hiten was so angry about was brought up. He knew of the murder during the terrorist bombing threat, but Hiten went down for other despicable crimes as well.

Could Bankotsu be hiding the fact that he committed one, or possibly most, of those crimes? He didn't know, and his eyebrows knitted together just thinking about it. He himself cared for Angel, and he didn't know how he would respond if he found out that she had been hurt because Bankotsu didn't want to own up to something. Didn't Angel's life mean more to him than his reputation?


	12. Cover Ups and Discoveries Part 1

~*~ At Angel's Parents House ~*~

Miroku pulled up to the nicely built residence of Angel's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Masuyo and Akiko Taira. They were a proud family, just like Bankotsu's, but they had a history to be proud of. Their family descended from Taira no Kiyomori, a general who established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in Japanese history. They lived comfortably in their shojo style home, which was the largest and most secluded in the gated community they lived in.

Miroku parked where the street ended, greeted by a long set of stairs going down into the bonsai garden and past the shrine. He then came to the large wooden gate that the Taira clan had to open for you. He pressed the buzzer and waited patiently. He hoped that they didn't answer him.

Miroku was a good liar and a quick one, too. As a matter of fact, it was his skill as a liar that got himself and his friends out of countless hostage situations, standoffs, shootouts, and a lot of other things. However, he didn't like the idea of lying to people who loved him, and that included Angel's parents.

They were the ones who came up with the greatest wedding gift for him and Sango: a beautiful house in the suburbs. They were the first ones present at the hospital when Sango went into labor with the twins. They were the ones who vouched for him whenever he found himself in trouble for anything at all. It hurt to have to tell them something untrue about their daughter, especially when, in reality, she had been kidnapped and her boyfriend, the one they trusted her with, refused to notify the authorities.

But, it was for the good of their poor old hearts and for Angel's survival, because Bankotsu told them that Hiten said no cops; if Mr. and Mrs. Tairu found out, they would waste no time reporting the crime to the police. He did find it strange, however, that even though the police could quietly track Hiten and Angel, Bankotsu still didn't want them involved.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of an automated voice coming out of the intercom.

"_Please state your name,"_ it ordered.

"Miroku," he stated solemnly.

"_Please wait while your identity is verified."_

Even though this was taking longer than it should to get past a gate, he was glad that Bankotsu had this security system installed. Angel's parents were a kind and trusting couple, if not senile, and with people like Hiten running around, they were at risk of allowing the wrong person into the house. The system verified who you were by voice ID, which is impossible to impersonate. If you were not locked into the system already, the system would automatically scan your name through a database of criminals and wanted felons. If you had a record or were wanted, the gates would lock and the police would be notified.

"_Welcome, Miroku, age: 23, height: 6'0, weight: 244 lbs."_

Then the gates opened, revealing the pearl white, spacious Japanese villa that everyone so admired. Being the courteous couple they were, Mr. and Mrs. Tairu awaited him on the porch of their home, all smiles. Mrs. Tairu wore a traditional white kimono with red cherry blossom decorations. Mr. Tairu was less traditional, wearing one of his many Armani suits that he always kept dry-cleaned and pressed, even when he wasn't wearing them anywhere. White cherry blossom trees in full bloom lined the walkway to the porch, and a fountain or two could be seen in the vicinity. It was a beautiful abode, but he had to admit that it was out of place in Miami.

"Miroku!" Mrs. Tairu greeted warmly, stretching out her arms for a hug. "How nice to see you."

Miroku hugged her. "It's nice to see you both as well. How are you?"

"We're fine, still kicking!" Mrs. Tairu laughed, just as bubbly as her daughter.

"That's wonderful to hear," he beamed. He turned to shake Mr. Tairu's hand. "Hello, Mr. Tairu. Did you finish the boat yet?" he asked, referring to the boat that he was trying to build so he could sail the southern Miami waters.

Mr. Tairu chuckled. "I guess I should get back to it sooner or later. But we can talk inside. Please come in," he offered, gesturing toward the door.

"Oh, I appreciate it, sir, but I don't have much time to stay this time. I just came to deliver a message," he politely declined. He wiped sweat from his brow as he went over his lie in his head.

Mrs. Tairu immediately looked disappointed. Mr. Tairu, however, nodded and listened to him. He was better understanding of Miroku's lifestyle as both a father and a homicide detective. He understood when he had time and when he just didn't.

"Bankotsu recently took a last minute flight to Europe on business, so he didn't have time to call and tell you where Angel is. Angel went on that school field trip to New York. You remember that money you sent her for it and the papers you signed, right?"

"Yes, I do. Angel begged us to let her go… but, wait, I thought that the trip was two weeks ago?" Mrs. Tairu said, looking puzzled now.

"Yes ma'am, but they decided to change it due to thunderstorms in the New York City airport they were set to arrive in. All flights were cancelled."

Mr. Tairu smiled. "Oh, alright, well, thanks for the heads up. I'll call Angel as soon as-"

"Oh, and another thing?" Miroku interrupted as politely as he could, "The school issued different phone devices to the kids. They can only call each other and their teachers, so that will be a little impossible."

"Oh," Mr. Tairu looked just as disappointed as his wife had, "Well, how are we going to contact our daughter? She _is_ hundreds of miles away."

"Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Tairu, she can either call you from the hotel or see you when she gets back. She left this morning, and it will only be a week until she's back home."

Miroku began to worry. They were asking a lot of questions- more questions than he could come up with unquestionable answers to. Even worse was the disappointment on their faces because they knew it wasn't like their daughter to make sure everything was okay at home before leaving. Even if she was just around the corner, she always contacted them.

"… Very well. I guess there's nothing to be too concerned about. If anything goes wrong, I know we'll receive a call," Mr. Tairu concluded cheerfully, "After all, Angel's a responsible girl; I'm sure she can take care of herself."

Miroku inwardly sighed in relief, glad that they bought his story. But he had second thoughts about Angel's ability to take care of herself. Hiten was a man much larger than her small frame, and she couldn't fight him off for long.

"Wonderful! Well, I'll be going. You two take care," Miroku addressed respectfully, hugging them both and heading down the porch steps.

Mrs. Tairu waved, "You too, Miroku! Oh, and Miroku?"

He stopped and turned around. "Yes, Mrs. Tairu?" he asked.

"Have you, by any chance, seen Baby while you were outside the gate?"

Miroku's brows knitted together inquisitively. "Angel's puppy? It's a…"

"Yorkie," she finished, nodding.

"No, I haven't seen a puppy," he answered slowly, looking around again, "When did she go missing?"

Mr. Tairu crossed his arms lazily. "The little thing was nowhere to be found around 8:45 last night. She started yipping and yapping like crazy about thirty minutes before then," he answered, slightly annoyed at the memory.

Miroku's hair stood up on his neck. That was precisely one hour before Angel was kidnapped. Considering the fact that her school was a forty-five minute drive from her parents' house, it was possible that he made a stop here as well. He looked around quickly, checking to make sure that there was no one watching them from one of the wall surrounding the villa. When he saw no one, he turned to face the old couple, pale.

"Doesn't Baby normally bark at men and nothing else?" he recounted to them.

Mrs. Tairu thought for a minute, and then she snapped her fingers excitedly. "Yes! She always does that to Bankotsu, which is why she is here with us instead of at his house."

This confirmed his suspicions: Hiten had come to her parents house and snatched the dog too. He grit his teeth and turned away, thinking of what Hiten wanted him and the rest to realize.

Hiten took the puppy so that they could know three things. 1) He could locate anyone near and dear to Angel. 2) He could get past any security system they threw at him. 3) He could make anything and anyone disappear. Well, now they have that message, and they all needed to be especially careful.

"Miroku?" Mr. Tairu asked, concerned.

Miroku quickly masked his emotions, smiling and turning back to them. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about what it might look like. I haven't seen her, but I'll let you know if I do!" he stated cheerfully, gaining their full trust. They smiled.

"Well, thank you for your help, Miroku. I just hope we can find Baby soon; Angel will worry herself to death over her."

"Sure, Mrs. Tairu. Goodbye, you guys!"

He waved at them and they waved back, having not a clue of the possible danger they could be in. He ran through the gates and up the stairs to his car, jumping in and pulling off briskly. He immediately flipped open his phone and dialed Bankotsu's number.

"Hello?" Bankotsu answered.

"Bankotsu, it's Miroku. I told Angel's parents the story, but her dog's gone missing," he rattled.

"So? What's the dog got to do with any-"

"He found out where her parents lived, bypassed their security system, and snatched the dog without anyone noticing him, that's what makes it important!" he huffed, trying not to drive too fast.

"What?!" he yelled, astonished. "That means he can hurt them at any time he fuckin' wants!"

Miroku sighed, frustrated. "I know, and that might not even be the worst of it. Have you guys gotten to your house yet?"

"Yeah, we just pulled up. We gotta send somebody to guard the Tairu's house."

"I'll do that. Just gather as much evidence from the house as you can and gather everyone together somewhere. I'll call you later." Click.


	13. Cover Ups and Discoveries Part 2

~*~ At St. Francis Catholic High School ~*~

Kouga and Inuyasha sat in the principle's office, waiting for the principle himself to finish with a meeting. They could have just barged in with their badges, but they decided to keep it cool. Kouga's leg bounced, showing that he was anxious to move; he didn't like sitting for too long. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was well preoccupied. He had plenty of games on his phone, and Guitar Hero was more fun than sitting there looking at the weird secretary.

Finally, the door opened, and out walked several uptight-looking board members before the principle came over and greeted them. They stood and shook hands with the nervous-looking man. He was short, almost 5'6, and wore a shabby-looking suit. He was a bit chubby, and the countless wrinkles, thick eyeglasses, and false teeth let them know that he was pushing sixty or older. To complete his odd look, he wore a blonde hairpiece that was slightly darker than his own hair.

"Hello, I'm Arnold Conway, principle of St. Francis here. How are you?" he asked in a small voice.

"We're fine. You?" Kouga asked politely.

"I'm alright, I just, er, wish that so many important people weren't ambushing me… today…"

"Yeah, well, just answer our questions and we'll be outta your toupee in no time," Inuyasha answered gruffly, impatiently looking from the principle to his personal office door.

Kouga glared at him before continuing with the principle, Mr. Conway. "I'm Kouga and this is Inuyasha. Miami P.D.," he declared, both of them showing him their badges. "We would like to ask you a few questions regarding reports of suspicious behavior at your school."

"Oh! Well, er, of course! Right this way," Mr. Conway answered quickly, herding them into his office.

They all walked in and sat down, anxious to be done with all of the questioning.

"Now, Mr. Conway-"

"Please, call me Arnold. This isn't exactly a business call," he corrected Kouga.

"Alright. Arnold, was anyone at the school from 6:00 to 7:50 PM yesterday?'

"Um, well, all I know is that the dance team and the football team were having practice here," he answered, folding his hands together.

"Did any of them see or hear anything strange? Like something breaking, a slamming door-"

"A girl screaming, tires screeching, anything like that?" Inuyasha jumped in angrily. He was tired of the slow questioning; they needed answers.

Arnold, completely frazzled, stammered, "I-I know that one boy said something caught his attention-"

"Call him up here then!" he growled.

"Y-Yes, I will! Er, give me a moment…"

Inuyasha watched, partially satisfied, as the man fumbled with the intercom. It was already 3:50 PM, a good fifteen minutes before the last bell, but he didn't care. This bastard could be doing God-knows-what to Angel right now, and he knew they didn't have time to waste.

He called a Tyler Oslund to his office. It took two minutes for a jock to show up. He had wavy brown hair that fell over his eyes and only grazed his neck. His eyes were green, and he had a build that made him look like a bruiser, but his boyish face gave him the look of a regular student. They figured he was the quarterback.

Arnold stood and beckoned him inside. "Tyler, these men are Inuyasha and Kouga, with the Miami Police Department. They-"

"I know where this is going," Tyler announced, boredly rolling his eyes and sitting on a bench in the room. Kouga looked confused.

"You do?" he asked, not entertained.

"Yeah, this is about that beer blast down at the marshes, right? Look dude, I don't know whose idea it was to skin a gator, but it wasn't mine. Ask Jamie."

Kouga frowned, annoyed by the nonchalant attitude of this kid. "Actually, Tyler, this isn't about a gator, but thanks for the incriminating information."

Some color drained from Tyler's cheeks. "Then what's this about?" he asked, trying not to sound worried.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and turned on him. "A girl hasn't been home since around 7:00 PM last night, and she was in the parking lot of this school while you were at football practice. Her name's Angel Tairu; she's 5'8, 125 pounds, black hair, blue/brown eyes- ring a bell?!"

Suddenly, Tyler's eyes lit up. He sat up off his haunches and leaned closer. "You mean the babe?"

Before Inuyasha could jump out of his seat, Kouga shoved him back down by the shoulder and stood.

"We mean Angel Tairu. Do you know her and did you see her last night?" he asked tersely.

Tyler chuckled. "Do I know her? Angel's the hottest chick in the school! Of course I know her. I can't really talk to her personally, though. She's always on the move, bein' a dancer and all. Anyway, I saw her at her car last night."

"Did you notice anything odd?" he pressed.

"Well, it was kinda dark, but I heard some kind of yelp, and I knew it was Angel. Then, I heard a car door open and it didn't close until a few minutes later. Then, a door opened and closed around the same time, and I heard tires screeching. I guessed that the car was gone."

Inuyasha and Kouga shared an incredulous glance. It was just as they expected.


	14. A Hard Lesson

(11 hours earlier)

"_Angel…"_ Hiten growled, furious as he walked toward her.

Angel looked around the room. It was a modest room with a couch, a loveseat, a chair and a ceiling fan. She saw nothing to throw or defend herself with, and this made her even more terrified. She looked back at the snarling beast before her, backing away as hot tears ran down her cheeks.

"_I told you that there would be a painful… and embarrassing… punishment for the next time you caused trouble!"_

He took a step toward her, and she took two more steps back.

"Stay away from me!" she shrieked, panting and still backing away. To her surprise, he stopped… and smiled.

"Very well, then. I'll just let you-"

He was interrupted by knocks on the door. Only Angel knew who it was. It was the man who was walking his dog outside. When Hiten looked to the door, then glared at her, she shrank back. She realized she had no more room to back away when she hit the wall. A shaken gasp escaped her throat.

He glared at her for a little longer before he went to answer the door, but not before one last threat.

"Make a sound and I'll cut out your vocal cords," he snarled, stomping to the door.

She slid down to the floor and began to quietly weep. She had nowhere to go, and he was going to hurt her because of it. She desperately wished she could sprout wings and fly away, but she couldn't.

Hiten opened the door, plastering on a fake hospitable smile. There was a nice old man on his porch with a German Shepherd dog.

"Hello," Hiten greeted.

"Hi there," the man greeted back. "I was walking my dog and couldn't help but notice a scared little girl in the window here."

"Oh, her?" he chuckled, "That's my daughter. I caught her sneaking into my office and now she's running from me. She hates spankings, you see."

"Oh, okay!" the old man laughed, relieved. "I thought a girl had been kidnapped! Here she is just a scared little thing who doesn't want a punishment! My granddaughter's just like that sometimes."

"Ah, yes, but it's for their own good, right?" he laughed.

"Yes, sir, it is!" the old man declared. "Well, I'll be going now. Just making sure everything was alright. I gotta be going to return this toy to my grandchild."

He paused to pull a small device out of pocket with bright lights coming out of it. It looked like a phone, but it was just a baby toy. Hiten smiled fondly at the odd little thing and looked back at the old man.

"Alright, well, have a good night," he said.

"You too. Oh, and sir?" the old man added, "Don't spare the rod. You'll spoil the child!"

Hiten kept his wicked grin to himself. "That's just what I plan to do," he answered darkly before closing the door.

Hiten made sure the old man was long gone before he went back to the room where Angel was. He found her weeping sorrowfully into her knees. Even so, he wasted no time crossing the room.

Without warning, a large hand grabbed Angel's arm roughly and snatched her off the floor. She screamed and stumbled along as he dragged her over to the love seat. Again, he was squeezing the blood out of her arm and didn't know it. He got to the love seat and launched her into it violently, her body bouncing off of it as she landed on her stomach. She quickly rolled onto her back to make sure she could see him. He glared and walked over to the couch across from to the love seat, sitting down and continuing to stare at her venomously.

"Now," he started, folding his hands, "Just cooperate and this will go by smoothly."

Angel sat up against the cushions, looking toward the front door.

"Run and I personally break your little legs into fourths," he told her menacingly. She gasped.

"W-What are you going to do to me?" she inquired, her voice cracking as tears continue to run from her eyes. He smiled tenderly at her.

"Do you think I want to hurt you?" he asked kindly, his eyes bright.

"YES!" she wailed, bursting into tears once again.

She knew he was sadistic, but she didn't know he would play mind games with her. Hell, _of_ _course_ she thought he wanted to hurt her. He'd done so many times since she got there. As for his "obedience" rule, he couldn't possibly expect her to obey the every whim and command of the same man who brought her to his house against her will and was keeping her prisoner! He shook his head, still smiling at her.

"No, baby. That's not what I want. I just want you to learn, that's all. You keep making me angry when I advised you against that. A little girl like you should be more cautious about her safety. Now, undress yourself."

"NO!" Angel screamed, horrified. He did not expect her to strip for him… did he?

He scowled, and she whimpered. "Alright. I see you don't wanna cooperate."

Hiten got up from the couch and reached behind it. Angel watched curiously as he pulled out a big, square object. It was covered by a blue sheet. She could tell by the impressions it left on the sheet that the box was actually a cage. He sat back down and placed it beside him. He reached inside, never taking off the blanket and revealing what was in it.

Angel shrank back further into the plushy loveseat, her heart beating like she just ran a mile. What was in it? What would he try to torment her with now? Was it a snake? A rat? Or worse, some gruesome piece of someone she loved?!

Then, he slowly drew his hand out of the cage, and Angel jumped out of her seat when she saw its contents in his hand.

"BABY!!!!" she screeched, moving to run toward the little pup.

"SIT YOUR ASS DOWN NOW!" Hiten bellowed, jumping up and pointing a finger at her.

Not wanting anything to happen to her Yorkie, she slowly sat back down, weeping outwardly.

"W-What are you d-doing?" she stammered, greatly shaken.

"You wouldn't cooperate, and, for fear of me punching you in the mouth or something, I decided to persuade you to rather than ripping off your clothes myself."

She watched helplessly as her puppy wriggled in his grip. She even tried to bite his fingers with her tiny teeth, but he had her by her little pink collar and she couldn't reach them. Then, to Angel's horror, he pulled out a light and opened it, a small flame coming to life. Her hands flew to her mouth when he placed the lighter directly under Baby.

"NO!!" she screamed as Baby yelped and curled away from the sudden heat.

Hiten lowered the lighter, but still held it dangerously close to the poor pooch. Baby was still whimpering, and Angel jumped up but stayed in front of the small sofa.

"Hiten, stop it, please!" she begged helplessly, holding her hands to her chest to keep from having a heart attack.

"Then do what I told you or I'll fry your mutt here," he growled, glaring at her.

Angel, desperate to save Baby, whimpered and pulled her hair behind her ear. She was still standing, and her legs felt like they would give out at any second. He still watched her, expectant.

With shaky hands, Angel undid her neck tab. She held it for a second, then dropped it to the floor. He almost rolled his eyes when he saw that her shirt was buttoned all the way to the top. She then moved down to her socks, already lacking shoes. She slowly rolled them down her legs and to her feet, then slid them off, revealing small, flawless feet. She faltered in speed even more when she reached the buttons of her shirt. She looked over at him, her eyes pleading with him, only to see him hold the lighter closer to Baby's already curled up body.

She gasped, and slowly undid the top button. He watched ever more closely as she slowly made her way to the second button… then the third… then the fourth… and before she knew it, she had unbuttoned the whole shirt. However, she held it closed nervously, her face turning pink. A frown marred his handsome face and his eyebrows met, frustrated that he only got to see a little bit of her flesh.

"Hey, I didn't say you could stop. When I flick this lighter closed, then you can stop!" he barked, making her jump.

More tears flooded her eyes and escaped as she finally let the shirt fall to the floor, revealing a lacy pink bra with translucent material covering the majority of her large breasts. He felt himself lick his lips, blood rushing to his groin. She tried to cover it up with her arms, ashamed. Even if she was being forced to do so, she felt like she was betraying Bankotsu by sharing what was rightfully his with this man.

"Continue!" he demanded. Again she jumped.

Then, slowly she moved her arms. Hiten stared lustfully as she revealed the cloth that made visible her taut, pink nipples. The bra held her breasts firmly, giving even more volume than he knew she already had. He was so busy drooling over her breasts that he didn't notice her undoing her skirt until she was sliding it off. He almost smiled like a mischievous boy when he saw the whole of her matching pink thong.

Angel, now close to crying hysterically, had stopped stripping herself of her clothes. She cried pitifully, again covering her breasts with her arms. He told her that her punishment would be humiliated, and humiliated she was. She was also distraught, confused, heartbroken, and felt dirty. Hiten, not amused, jumped up.

"What the hell's the problem?" he demanded to know, still holding the whimpering dog by its collar.

"I-I-I… can't d-do it a-anymore…" she whimpered. "Please… don't h-hurt Baby…"

He looked down at the dog. It was probably as hysterical as she was. Baby was curled into a little ball, still whimpering like someone had stomped on her tail. She trembled like she was a newborn pup, still covered in liquids after being exposed to the cold world outside its mother.

He didn't get her naked like he wanted, but he at least got to see most of her breasts through the see-through material of her bra. He carelessly tossed the dog onto the couch, allowing it to scamper away, screeching. He flicked the lighter closed, glaring at her as she watched the little dog run away.

"Baby!" Angel called, attempting to run after her only to feel Hiten grab her arm.

"Hey, I didn't tell you you could leave," he rumbled, swinging her onto the couch just as violently as he had thrown her onto the loveseat.

Angel landed harshly on her stomach, her whole body laying upon the couch. She shakily moved her hair out of her face, looking up at him. She whimpered and tried to roll over when she saw him standing over her, looking down at her menacingly as he undid his belt.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to jump off of the couch.

He snatched off the belt and grabbed her ankle, dragging her back to the middle of the couch. In one swift move, he collected her wrists in his hand and held them down on the small of her back.

Aggravated, he immediately began to administer the beating, catching her behind, thighs, and legs with the thick leather belt. The swings were fast and cruel, tearing onto her as if she were being flogged. Angel screamed painfully, kicking and struggling as he whipped her unmercifully. She cried out, begging him to stop, but he didn't listen. He was even angry enough to attack the same spots twice. Her tears formed a large damp spot on the couch. The belt felt like it was embedded with nails, scraping and stabbing her flesh with every swing. She felt like she was bleeding, but Hiten made sure she wasn't, unbeknownst to her.

Finally, after a excruciating forty-eight lashings, he let go of her arms. She continued to cry, using her now free hands to cover her tear-strained face and continue to weep. She had never experienced so much pain in her life, and the only thing that came close to it was losing her virginity. Her legs and behind throbbed, and they still felt like they were on fire.

He wasn't finished yet, however. He grabbed her ankle, snatching her onto her back. She yelped at the pain that rushed up to meet her as she landed. She screamed when he yanked her thighs apart.

"Just to make sure you feel the pain I was _going_ to bestow upon you," he whispered cruelly with a matching smile, raising the belt.

Then, he brought it down… hard.

":AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Angel screamed in agony as her hands rushed to cover her nether region.

Not caring for her reaction at the moment, he snatched her up and threw her over his shoulder. He carried her bawling body up the stairs, taking a little time to look upon the blue and red stripes his belt left on the backs of her thighs and buttocks. For a split second, he felt a pang of remorse.

When he reached her room, he threw open the door and threw her onto the bed. She laid motionless, still weeping. Without looking up, she heard him leaving the room and then come back. He tossed something on the bed, and she could tell by the yip it let out and the little tongue she felt licking her nose that it was Baby.

"Now, you're gonna stay here until I tell you that you can come out! You better be glad I went easy on you," he snapped before leaving and slamming the door behind him.

Angel continued to lay motionless, crying. She was in unimaginable pain, and the stinging pulsations coming from the parts of her body that he had struck told her that they wouldn't stop until morning. She looked brokenly at the clock. 2:09 AM.

She held Baby to her chest, happy to have her puppy. She missed her, and how Bankotsu seemed to get into little arguments with her. She needed something warm to hold onto in this cold setting.

Then, out of nowhere, the image of Hiten holding her tenderly flashed across her mind.

'_What was that about?'_ she thought, confused by what she was feeling.

She sobbed and sobbed, afraid and lost, until finally, with Baby in her arms, she fell asleep.


	15. Inspection

A/N: Thanks to zutara4lyfe for the great idea! I owe you one!!

The next morning, Angel awoke more comfortably than she expected. Her eyes fluttered open tiredly. Her first sight was a tiny fur ball, none other than Baby, who was still asleep. She was snuggled up to her chest just the way she was last night. Angel smiled, glad to see that she wasn't shaken after last night's ordeal.

Slowly, Angel sat up on the plushy bed. She suddenly felt a rush of cold air on her torso, and covered herself with her arms. She felt bare skin under her hands and noticed that she was still in the bra and panty set that she had been forced to expose. Tears threatened to peak in her eyes, but then she noticed that before she sat up, she was tucked into the covers on the bed.

She observed, puzzled. The last time she checked, she cried herself asleep on _top_ of the covers. She decided that Hiten had tucked her in. But then she began to wonder as she climbed as quietly as she could out of bed.

'_Why would he tuck me in like he cared if I was cold or not?' _she asked herself._ 'Could he have felt bad for what he did?'_

As if it were an answer, memories of the night before abruptly came flooding back, making Angel shiver. She would never forget the rage in his eyes, the pain of his swing, nor the violence of his actions. She headed toward the bathroom, suddenly itching for a hot bath to wash away her feelings of pain, worthlessness, and helplessness. He was a brute, and she would never forget it… for her own sake. She had a boyfriend whom she knew would be out looking for her, and she would not cave in while she was here.

However, as she ran hot water and different oils and bubble baths into the large tub, she realized there was a kink in her plan. Every time she showed one bit of disobedience, he showed her the whole of his viciousness. He has yanked her, threw her, pushed her, grabbed her, yelled at her, hit her, forced her to strip, threatened her puppy with incineration, and has beaten her twice now. And he only got worse with every offense she offered.

Slipping now into the hot tub of bubbles, she thought of how long she might actually be here with this man. Hiten had told her that he didn't want to hurt her, but proved that he will. He told her he did not know how long she would be with him, but that he demanded absolute obedience during her stay. How long before she got to see her beloved Bankotsu again? How long would it take for her friends and family to notice that she isn't at school nor has she visited?

Angel sat there as tears slid down her cheeks and into the fragrant water. She ran a sponge across her arms and shoulders shakily, trying to calm herself. She couldn't bear to think of it anymore.

Suddenly, Angel heard Baby yipping profusely. She blushed and rushed to get out of the tub and cover herself with a towel. She knew that there was only one species on Earth that Baby barked at- men. As she wrapped the towel tightly around her, the door swung open.

There, standing menacingly in the door, was Hiten. Angel whimpered; his hulking frame blocked most of the doorway, so getting past him somehow would be impossible. His crimson eyes locked upon her coldly.

"What are you doing in here?" he inquired a solemnly as his eyes were cold.

Angel shifted her weight from her right foot to her left nervously.

"I-I was bathing," she stuttered quietly.

He looked at her closely, examining her. She was bathing; it was proven by the towel she wore and the dampness of the ends of her pinned-up hair. His eyes took interest in how the cloth clung to her body. It defined her curves and was barely enough to cover her, top to bottom. He noticed the still dampness of her skin, as if she had just risen from the bath as soon as he came in.

Noticing how his eyes ogled her, Angel decided to say something to break the eerie silence between them.

"Baby?" she called, making sure her voice and eye contact were directed to the pup and not him. She didn't want him to get it confused.

Baby, who had since stopped barking, scurried through the door to Angel. She bent down and picked her up, petting her and holding her close to her chest. He envied how close the dog was to her half- covered breasts, and thought of how close he came to that last night.

Angel looked back over to Hiten, as if questioning why he came.

"Are you still in pain?" he asked her suddenly, showing minimal concern.

Angel blushed. He legs and behind felt fine after the bath, but that sensitive spot that he saved for last still hurt. She didn't want to tell him that. When she didn't answer, he grew agitated.

"Well?" he snarled.

She jumped and looked away, still blushing.

He quickly grew tired of her games. "Bend over the counter," he ordered.

Angel stepped back, afraid. "W-Why?" she questioned, afraid of another beating. She had just went through the ordeal twice in a span of twenty-four hours, and she didn't want it to happen again.

She almost screamed when he closed the gap between them, snatched Baby away, and bent her over like he wanted. She shrieked at the sudden cold air she felt on her rear end.

"Be quiet!" he growled. She obeyed, tears falling from her eyes. She tried to silence her sobs, but they racked her body, forcing her to quiver and shake. He noticed this.

"Angel, stop your crying. I am only checking to make sure you don't have any extensive injuries, alright?"

Angel, not sure whether to believe him or not, nodded. Hiten then crouched down so he could see the backs of her legs clearly. He ran his rough hand across the smooth skin gently, and when he felt no impressions after light presses from his fingers, he slowly moved his hand up to her thighs.

She trembled at the feel of his hand. He had already hurt her enough with those same hands, and she didn't trust them. He must have noticed this. He finished examining her thigh and stood. He caressed the small of her back with his other hand, reassuring her.

"I'm not her to hurt you, Angel," he stated calmly, "I'm only here to help you."

Angel didn't say anything. She just wiped her eyes and nodded.

Then, she jumped when she felt him rest his hand on her rear. He caressed her back more ardently and pressed his fingers to her mounds to make sure there were no impressions. Angel shut her eyes tight, afraid. She knew now that he didn't plan to hurt her, but she wasn't for groping either.

Finally, he pulled his hand away and let her know she could stand now. Angel stood up straight, glad that it was over, but still shaken. He watched her tremble and felt slightly bad for what he caused. However, it was for her own good, and he knew she would be happy he checked her later on. She nervously fixed her towel back and looked down at the floor, still blushing.


	16. Feeling Better

"Go lay on the bed," he told her.

She moved past him as quickly as she could, and then slowly made it to the bed. She crawled onto it and lay on her stomach, hoping that this was the way she was staying. She thought wrong.

"On your back, Angel," he corrected, walking in and standing by her legs.

She whimpered. Not wanting to be beaten or yanked into position instead, she voluntarily shifted onto her back, clutching the towel closed as she settled in the way he wanted her to. She kept her legs tightly closed, and her legs hung off of the bed by her knees.

He looked down at her, noticing that she held her legs tightly closed.

"Angel, please open your legs," he ordered politely. To his dismay, she whimpered and shook her head profusely, crossing her legs.

He sighed. "Angel, I know you remember where it hit you before I brought you to bed last night, don't you?" he asked her sternly, his face hardening.

Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered the blistering ache she felt when the belt hit her. It was like a thousand hornets had zeroed in on that one area on her body and stung. She felt the swollen lips every time she walked, and the pain only reminded her of its presence as if it all had just happened all over again.

Hiten watched as the tears in her eyes escaped, dampening the plush white comforter she now lay upon. He knew she was remembering it all. He couldn't find the strength to tell her not to cry, because he knew it wasn't there. Angel was already a sensitive girl, but, in his last bout of cruelty, he hit her in her most sensitive spot. Now all he wanted to do was make it better.

**WARNING: SEXUAL DEVIANCE AHEAD**

He got down on his knees and parted her thighs himself. She tried to keep them closed, but his strong arms won against her. Then, he pulled her by her thighs to the edge of the bed so he could see her better.

"No!" Angel pleaded, covering herself with her hands. She blushed a thousand reds and tears fled from her eyes.

He removed her hands and looked up at her. "Angel, I'm doing this to soothe your pain," he assured her.

"No! Please don't look at me, it's embarrassing!!" she cried, struggling to free her hands from his grip.

"Angel!" he suddenly roared, causing her to whimper and stop all movement. He looked into her earthen sea eyes coldly. "If you reach down here again, I will handcuff you to the headboard and do it that way, do you understand?"

She broke into sobs, nodding brokenly as she moved her hands to clasp the towel closed to keep her chest covered.

Satisfied, Hiten went back down to her nether region. He moved the towel back and opened her thighs wider. He fought back a gasp when he saw his work.

The lips of her spot were red and swollen painfully. The entire area was a dim, yet ever-present red. He placed his heavy palm on it, making Angel whimper both in pain and embarrassment. It pulsated, and he couldn't be more disgusted with himself… but not because he had caused all this.

He was growing aroused by seeing her naked flesh. If he had abused it, he knew it would be an innocent pink. It was warm… and inviting to him. Although he hadn't wanted to, he had thought of how she might look and feel when he was watching her from afar and when she was in his house.

Willfully, he used his two index fingers to part her lips, revealing pinker, warmer flesh. This flesh, however, was moist. Angel continued to whimper, and he was alerted back to her presence.

"Angel, don't cry," he cooed.

"B-But-" she pleaded, only to be interrupted.

"I just want to make you feel better," he said gently. He then looked at the redness in front of him. "You poor baby. Why did I ever do this to you?"

He wasn't asking her. It was more like him asking himself. He wished he hadn't done that to her. But he partly thanked himself for doing it, for if he didn't, he would have no legitimate reason to do what he was about to do.

Like a hungry, yet gentle, beast, he lowered his mouth onto her spot, flicking his hot tongue inside her soft folds. Angel gasped and gripped the towel as he licked her flesh greedily. Her thighs shook as he plunged his tongue deep inside her, flicking every which way in order to taste the sweet moisture that she was emitting against her will.

He massaged her outer lips gingerly, making sure to soothe them of their irritation. He pulled away for a second and saw that they were already lightening up from their redness. He wasted no time diving back into her, massaging fervently.

Angel moaned despite herself, gasping and panting as he drove her to insanity. She knew that how she was acting now was against what Bankotsu would have wanted out of a faithful girlfriend, but she was helpless against Hiten's charms. He used his tongue to work her over mercilessly, and she released her sweet nectar, again despite herself.

Hiten lapped up her juices greedily before unleashing his tongue upon her pulsating bud. Angel screamed lustfully and grasped his hair with both her hands as he nearly destroyed her. She arched her back off the bed and practically rode his mouth as he suckled, kissed, and licked her. His eyes slightly widened as he noticed her wild behavior. From his experience, he knew that women only acted as Angel did when they wanted a better experience and wanted the man to continue… willingly. He expected her to fight and kick and scream with all her might, shouting about her precious boyfriend, but she welcomed his play instead.

He stuck his finger inside of her and worked his mouth faster as she neared another climax. She continued to scream and grind against his mouth, all the while turning him on even more. However, he had a certain ground of respect for her, if not for Bankotsu, and would ruin her no further than this.

Angel, finally reaching her climax, released her hands and collapsed onto her back. After sucking up what was left of her juices, Hiten stood and wiped his mouth, gasping for air himself. He looked down at her helplessly aroused body; he could even see her hardened nipples through the towel. He, however, also possessed a hardened piece of his body, and decided to leave the room before he decided to appease it with her flesh.

He headed towards the door, but not before he heard Angel let out strangled moans. He turned around and felt his jaw drop when he saw what he saw.

There, on the bed, Angel was rolling around in ecstasy as she pleasured herself with her fingers. She was apparently oblivious to his presence as he got closer to the bed to look. And apparently, he had not done enough to appease her.


	17. Author's Note and Apologies!

A/N: OOOOKAY! I remember telling one of my friends here that I was going to have new chapters and possibly a new story by the end of October. However, I typed the chapters (which are not finished) and the new story is getting confusing. Also, thanks to my debate team and my lacrosse team, I have barely any time to type the rest of my story! Please forgive me for the setback, and I should have those chapters and that story up soon.

SORRY!! (=^_^=)


	18. A Silent Meal

"Angel, for God's sake, eat something!" Hiten yelled, exasperated to no end with the silent, timid girl in front of him. They had been sitting at the dining room table for an hour and a half and she had yet to touch her food. He knew she was hungry because her stomach audibly cried out for her to pick up her fork, yet she just stared at the now cold plate of food with a nervous demeanor and a broken look in her eyes.

They were a good ten feet apart from each other, each at the opposite ends of the table. He prepared the home cooked meal that now laid between them as an icebreaker between them. He felt that the time spent in captivity would be much less painful if she opened up and got comfortable living with him. But the difficulty of that task was ever-present in his wrinkled forehead and tense stare. There she sat in front of him in her baby blue tank top and her blue and black striped pajama shorts with matching fuzzy slippers, her hair tussled in adorable dishevelment and her beautiful lips in a cute little pout. She sat so rigid and subtly trembled every other moment, seeming as if she were afraid he was about to strike her delicate, already bruised frame at any second. He didn't like this demeanor; it irked him to no end. She was full of joy when he spent a week watching her while formulating his plan, and he wanted the same thing now, despite what he'd seen only a few hours earlier...

Angel nervously tightened her legs when she sensed his hard crimson stare upon her. She knew he was growing impatient because she refused to touch any of her dinner, but while she was nervous about being punished, she had lost her appetite right after he little accidental show. She cringed at the thought of her auto-erotic behavior, especially when she had done so in front of the same monster who had beaten her like a slave not even a day before.

While she was mortified at the memory, she could not help but blush when she shuffled in her seat and realized she felt no more pain between her thighs. She didn't think she would recover as quickly with a little bit of foreplay from her captor. She was ashamed to admit that she enjoyed it. How could she partake of such carnal behavior with the same man who threatened the man she loved? What would Bankotsu say about this?

_'Bankotsu...'_ Angel panicked in her mind, _'Would he think me a slut? Would he be disgusted by the mere sight of me?'_

A tear crept down her cheek as random, horrid thoughts of her lover sped through her mind. She imagined him being very upset with her, maybe even putting her out of the house while calling her a dirty whore. That's how she felt- like a whore. She remembered the sensation of Hiten salivating all over her, lapping up the juices she so willingly produced. A dirty feeling took hold of her, forcing her to squeeze her thighs even tighter together.

As more tears formed as she stared at her lap in shame, she was startled when a large, rough hand appeared on her soft thigh and gently squeezed. She nearly jumped out of her seat and would have succeeded had another hand not whipped around her shoulders and pushed her back down. Her head snapped, only to reveal to carmine eyes staring up at her with a mixture of annoyance and concern. There Hiten was, kneeling beside her chair and staring up at her.

She panicked. "L-Let got of me!" she whimpered shakily, struggling against his iron grip.

"You don't give orders around here!" he countered angrily, giving her thigh a clenched, painful squeeze, making sure his nails dug into her frail skin.

She yelped in pain, but instinctively stayed still to encourage him to remove his abrasive hand. She sat silently, staring at him like a tiny lamb at the mercy of a ravenous wolf.

Seeing her in this frail state softened his eyes and he released his hold. She relaxed at this, now noticing the four reddened imprints his nails left. She reached over as if to rub the soreness away. Hiten noticed this, quickly catching her hand with one of his and stroking her ailing thigh with the other. Once more she stared at him, this time in bewilderment.

Seeing the eyes he considered the most beautiful up close warmed his blood against his will. He wanted to be strict and rough with her, but those gorgeous eyes, pouty lips, and luscious curls only made him want to caress her and ease away her fears. He couldn't describe it; he just knew he was supposed to hate her but it _wasn't_ working.

"Angel, just... stop crying," he managed as sternly as his voice would allow.

Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. She just shifted away from him uncomfortably and looked away. Tears were choked back as she winced and shut her eyes, hoping he would disappear.

He grunted. "Angel, look at me," he ordered. When she refused to move, he took firm hold of her chin and snatched her face toward him. She shrieked in response and he pressed his hand to her throat, pressing her to her seat in the process. Both of her small hands went to the hand around her throat, trying to relieve the pressure.

"Stop it!" she cried pitifully, clawing at his hand with her manicured nails.

"SHUT UP!" he bellowed, snatching her out of the chair. He then slammed her against the wall, putting the force of his weight on her body before letting go of her. He pinned her up with one of his legs between her thighs and the other locked against her hip.

"Let me go- GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed as she slammed her tiny fists against his solid chest, hurting her own hands in the process.

Tears freely flowed down her face as she struggled to get him off her. He smirked evilly at her as he watched her frantically punch at him. She reminded him of a kitten nervously trying to paw its way out of an attack from a pit bull. He could easily be that pit bull, coveting the sweet flesh of his prey, who was locked in his sight as he inched closer and closer to her body.

Angel found herself lacking space. She went from swinging her fists in the beginning to merely knocking on his chest. All her movements of desperation had caused her to lose more and more energy, and it seemed like hours were passing by. Hiten could afford to allow her to lose her energy hitting him; she hadn't the strength to truly harm him, as he could snap her neck like a twig in mere seconds. As he closed in on her, her whimpering became quieter and quieter out of fear. She panted lightly, almost exhausted from her futile assault. She knew it had been a waste, not only because she was still in the same position, but because she could now feel Hiten's warm breathing on her lips.

Hiten slowly took hold of one of her thick curls and began to twirl it around one of his fingers. Angel narrowed her eyes in spite when he held it up to his nose and inhaled her sweet scent.

"You smell nice as always, Angel, naughty girl or not," he teased, locking eyes with her and placing one of his hands on each side the wall where her head was, further pinning her to the wall.

"... Sorry if I can't say the same..." Angel countered, trying to cover the sweetness of her voice with the malice she clearly felt for him. He chuckled at the sad attempt.

"Is this about what happened earlier?" he asked, feigning confusion.

"W-What are you talking about?" she asked, knowing full well she knew what he was talking about.

He threw his head back and laughed. Then, he quickly brought his head back down to attempt to kiss her lips, a gesture she denied just in the nick of time. She snatched her head to the side, causing him to kiss her cheek. He was not deterred, and he began to trace hot kisses down her cheek and to her neck in lieu of a wicked grin. While his lips sucked her neck, his hands roamed her body, letting one hand squeeze her plump, soft derriere while the other crept to the crotch of her shorts.

"Get your dirty mitts of me!" Angel whimpered, snatching her head to the opposite side and successfully interrupting his play. Then, with all the strength she could muster, she smacked Hiten as hard as she could across the face, ending the rest of his assault.

As if burned by a furnace, Angel snatched the offending hand to her chest and cradled it, eyes wide in fright as she stared at the menace she had just ill-advisedly struck. Her eyes widened even more when at a deathly slow pace, Hiten turned to face her with a reddened cheek and even brighter red eyes. In his eyes he had no mixture of emotions; _all_ that was present was rage. Angel shakily inhaled and tried to slide down to the floor, rejected by the thigh that still pinned her to the wall. She wished she could just slide to the floor and curl into a ball, as his fiery eyes not only caused terror to seep through her veins, but they also made her feel tinier than a grain of sand on a stormy beach.

Hiten stared upon her now fearful frame, pondering what his reaction should be. He was enraged beyond comprehension, and he surely could not let her get away with what she'd done so defiantly. No one ever smote him and was left without consequences. _No_ one.

Without warning, he snatched her hands away from her chest and pinned them on either side of her head. He applied massive pressure to her thin wrists, causing her to yelp and wiggle in an attempt to get away. She screamed as she felt her wrists crushed under the pressure he put on them.

"Please, stop-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" he bellowed, pulling her from the wall only to slam her back against it with a loud thud. She yelped in pain, dizzied from the impact.

"I-I'm... s-s-sorry, I-"

He pulled her away from the wall again, this time to throw her to the floor. His strength and her light weight caused her to slide halfway across the wood floor, her skin squealing against it. She screamed as her head bashed into a chair of the table on the way down, giving her a momentous headache. Once she came to a stop, she laid on her side, in pain and discombobulated from the impact of such hard surfaces. She panted, trying to get the wind that was just knocked out of her back in. Through her blurry vision she saw that he we was not yet satisfied because he was now stomping over to her.


	19. Broken Hopes

Angel shrieked groggily as he grasped a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet. She lost her footing immediately and finally stood, the excruciation of her scalp being pulled having encouraged her to do so.

"Is THIS how you want me to treat you? IS IT?" he snarled in her ear, yanking her back and forth at every other syllable.

She just wept, the tears now flowing freely as her pain intensified.

"ANSWER ME!" Again he threw her to the floor, only this time she landed directly on the step leading to the living room. She let out a cry of anguish after her shoulder bounced off of it violently. The pain felt as through her shoulder shattered into pieces and she held it trying unsuccessfully to ease the hurting. She looked upon her assailant through the barrage of tears, and was surprised to see him frozen as if allowing her to regain some strength in her battered limbs.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she shrieked from the floor, shakily supporting her body with her good arm.

Hiten growled, "You've forgotten that you just slapped the hell out of me, you little-"

"You attacked me! What was I supposed to do, you RAPIST!"

"HOW DARE YOU REFER TO ME LIKE THAT!" he howled, inching closer to her in fury as he sent her an equal glare.

Fear of another attack made her quickly get to her feet, temporarily ignoring her abused shoulder. She hugged herself nonetheless, scared back into her innocence as the hulking beast in front of her inched closer.

"Y-You forced yourself on me!" she squeaked, stepping back as his eyes bore into her.

To her surprise, he chuckled and kept his wicked grin. Was she so naïve to believe he would have had his way with her against the wall if she didn't want it? He had just been released from prison; the bruises she got today were sure to fade, but the damage she was sure to take if he took her by force would last long enough to use in court.

He relaxed on his heels, having been ready to lunge at the poor frightened girl. He took this time to look over his work. Her hair was only slightly out of place with the exception of the large tangled mess in the center of her head where his hand had snatched her up. Her slippers were now missing from her feet, her pedicured nails exposed because one slipper lay by the wall and the other somehow landed on the table. There were visible, yet dim red bruises on her wrists and collarbone and bright, purple bruises on her shoulder and a spot on her temple. His grin slowly dissipated as his eyes roamed her, uncovering every evidential part of his misplaced brutality that he unleashed upon her.

"You made me do it," he rasped finally.

She didn't know how to respond; she was too shocked and frightened to. Angel continued to shed tears as she stared him down, anxious. She was so heartbroken by the beating she had just endured that she almost wished he'd just throw her out so she can find her way through the traps outside and off to safety. She had never been hurt so badly before by anyone, let alone a 20-something year old, 6-foot-tall killer. As fragile as she was, her small hopes were nearly crushed because of it.

He began to slowly walk toward her, causing her to step back, whimpering. "You know you made me do it," he whispered just audible enough to hear, "You wanna know why?"

She openly wept, her hands feeling around desperately for anything to protect herself with as she backed up toward the staircase by the hallway.

"_P-Please... don't..._" she pleaded, running out of room.

"You teased me, Angel..."

"_No..._"

She tripped, landing on the carpeted stairs with a yelp. Less than ten feet away, he continued to stroll toward her. She couldn't find her balance as she stared in horror as Hiten loomed over her.

"You led me on, pulled my tongue deeper inside you..."

"_Stop... n-no..._"

She attempted to crawled up the stairs, slipping at times as she made her way to the middle of the staircase at a slow, clumsy pace.

"You knew that I was watching as played with your sweet, luscious, tight little pink pus-"

"_STOP IT! DON'T SAY THAT TO ME!_" she cried pitifully, not being able to bare to hear the rest of what was probably true.

She refused to believe it, especially when it was coming from his mouth. She broke down crying all over again, sobs racking her body as the pain in her eyes became even more prominent as they pleaded with him.

Hiten silenced his slow verbal assault, but he was not yet finished. He looked into her eyes not with anger or coldness... but with longing. He looked as he felt- like a man who would give his arms to hold her in them for one night. He regretted harming her, and her eyes gave him all evidence of how he had hurt her. He was unknowingly letting his guard down, and didn't know how.

"Angel..." he started, stopping in his tracks at the foot of the steps. She continued to stare, sobbing quietly.

"It might not mean much now... but I know about your condition."

"_W-What?_" she asked, bewildered.

"You think I took you without first going through all of your information, medical records included?"

She blushed. "I-I don't have a-"

"Cut the bullshit, Angel," he snapped quietly, silencing her. "You have hypersexual tendencies, don't you?"

"... I-"

"You act on carnal passion because you can't stop yourself. That's why I was able to watch such a wholesome and innocent girl like you put on a peep show right?" he stated cruelly and matter-of-factually.

She gasped and jumped to her feet, outraged. "You monster! How could you be so insensitive to me? What did I do to you?"

His eyes grew dark. "If I didn't tell you, I don't like being teased, Angel. It makes a fool out of me. Things aren't held up in front of me that I _can't... HAVE_... But just to test my theory and show you what you're missing..."

Hiten then began to slowly unbutton his Polo shirt, revealing snippets of a chiseled chest with each new unveiling. Against her will, Angel became fixated. Then, he dropped his shirt to the floor, reveal the most beautiful body she'd ever seen on a man. His hulking frame held tight muscles each the size of grapefruit. His eight abs were rock-hard and perfect, matching the rest of his godlike physique and broad shoulders.

He smirked when he noticed the goddess before him staring in want at his body. She couldn't believe she preferred Hiten's body to that of Bankotsu at the moment. She felt a pang of shame, but she wouldn't let it show.

She was so wrapped up in him that she didn't realize he was approaching her until he scooped her into his arms. He stared into her eyes like a hungry wolf as he carried her up to her room, her body still frozen in either fear or awe. They reached her room and he carried her over to the bed. He gingerly laid her in it, not phased when she attempted to crawl away. He simply grabbed her ankle, startling her. Her head shot back in his direction and his eyes silently pleaded with him to let go.

He pulled both her legs toward him until he stood between them, then trapped her between his arms as she leaned on he bed. He noticed her beauty all over again as she stared into his eyes. When he licked his lips seductively at her, she blushed and turned away like a young schoolgirl caught in a naughty act... just like she was. He reached up and gently turned her face back toward him by her chin.

Then, like the devil he was, he gave her a soft, full kiss on her inviting lips. She did nothing to stop him, not being aroused, but instead afraid to be harmed again. When he left her lips, he found she was not as affected as he was. He felt lighter than air while he kissed her, her lips soft and plump enough to make him stiff with excitement. She hypnotized him with her lush skin, sweet aroma, and gentle eyes. Her body meant nothing compared to the beauty of her kiss.

Angel's whimpering broke his thoughts temporarily. It was here that he noticed her discomfort. She had forced herself to accept his touch, and now his erection was pressing against the crotch of her shorts with enough force for him to feel her now-healed region.

He smirked at her. "So I did heal you after all..." he whispered mischievously, gently grinding himself into her. She winced and squirmed under him uncomfortably, making him refrain from making it any more frightening for her.

Still only inches from her face, he breathed, "Go to bed, little girl. You have to be up early tomorrow."

Still half-dazed, he couldn't move to stop her as she scurried to the pillows and yanked the sheets over herself like they could protect her from him. He laughed to himself, as she would soon learn that not only could the sheets not save her from him.

Nothing could.


	20. Back to School

And we are BACK! Hello again everyone! I am pleased to say that I have much to offer, because I have handwritten SO MUCH of this story! You'll be getting chapters per day as I find the energy to type all this! Thanks so much for waiting, and before to review or personally message me to express any thoughts on the work as it grows!

Is it sad that I've done an entire plot web on all this and have very little idea how to mold the words to it still? It's a lot of CRAZY stuff that's gonna be going on!

ENJOY!

* * *

Hiten stomped into Angel's room and snatched the sheets off of her. She didn't wake up, but she did shiver from the sudden loss of warmth. His brows met in disapproval, annoyed by her lack of energy.

"How the hell does a dancer/SGA president/captain of the debate team/captain of the lacrosse team/computer science intern/PETA volunteer taking three AP courses and participating in three school clubs manage to be so damn lazy?" he thought aloud.

Angel finally jumped awake when he brought a heavy hand down on her bottom. Her eyes whipped around the room until they found him standing over her menacingly.

"Get your lazy ass up!" he snapped, "And get ready to go to school."

Angel's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged as she incredulously parroted, "School?"

He rolled his eyes heavenward. "Yeah, smartass, _school_. Fuck, I hope you're not this slow in class," he remarked snidely, earning a hard glare from Angel as his words sunk in, "The clock's got 6:14. I want to be on the road by 7 o'clock, so you've got an hour to get dressed." With that, he turned and headed to the ottoman in the room, sitting down and proceeding to watch her like an assigned sentry.

"B-But…" Angel stammered under her breath, looking around the room tired and irritated by his foul mood. She caught sight of the digital clock on the nightstand- it read 6:14 AM. She looked to the window, making sure it wasn't some trick he was trying to pull on her, but sure enough, day was just beginning to break on the other side of the sheer curtains. Upon discovering these new developments, though, Angel was much less than shocked. He knew everything about her from her clothes to her personalized mattress; would it be so strange if he _also_ knew what time she woke up in the mornings?

"Today!" he snapped again, breaking her from her thoughts.

Angel, exasperated and not having the energy to deal with him, went to the closet to pull out her uniform and shoes. She laid them across the bed and went to choose the underwear she'd wear. Hiten's eyes locked on the silk and lace red bra and boy shorts set she picked up. His blood instantly warmed at the thought of touching the provocative material, the cloth having graced her luscious curves and hidden the secrets of her sensual charms. He had half a mind to demand that she change into it right now, especially when he caught her trying to keep him from seeing it. She smushed the boy shorts into her bra and folded the bra in half, giving the impression that it was just a roll of material. He scoffed at the attempt but left it alone when he saw her blushing and tiptoeing around him. He may have been pissed beyond reason this morning, but he did have… at least _some_ semblance of a heart.

"… wrong," he heard her voice snap crisply all of a sudden. There were sounds before that word, but he had been to wrapped up in his naughty fantasies to have heard anything.

"What did you say?" he asked skeptically.

Angel grabbed a towel from the linen basket she finally found and took to the bathroom door, but not before saucily whipping around to face him, continuing, "I said you're _wrong_. You know, incorrect, perhaps? I hope you're well-read enough to know what that means."

Hiten's back stiffened at the jab about his intelligence, especially coming from a high school girl still wet between the folds. He grit his teeth, grounding out, "Just what the hell are you on about? And you better make it quick before I make my way over there and show you just what _wrong_ is."

Angel shuddered at that, noting the heat of his gaze swirling with what could only be passion. A passion too dangerous for her to be the desirable victim of. In the back of his mind, he himself knew that he wanted nothing more than for this feisty little vixen to keep challenging him so that he can pounce, stripping her and taking her against the very door she was perched in front of as he saw fit. Then he would gladly tie her to the bed, where she would remain his sexual prisoner whether his plan went through or not.

"_If_ you will recall, you stated that I have an hour to get dressed, when you yourself noted that I had one minute more than 45 minutes to get dressed since it is, or rather _was_, 6:14 when you made that assumption. You wouldn't get ready in an hour from that time if you wanted to be 'on the road', as you say, by 7:00. It seems you're a little… dense, this morning; I do hope you aren't this stupid whilst kidnapping."

Shock wasn't even the right word to express what Hiten felt after her calm tirade. The little chit was feisty, he knew that, but not nearly as timid as he thought her to be. She had just stood there in her tiny short shorts and adorable little camisole, one that accentuated her bountiful bust line and her nearly impossibly slim waist, and told him off in the most condescending and snide way she could manage. She had done it all to pay him back twice over in kind for having insulted her earlier. He smirked inwardly at her little act of valor, yet was unable to wipe the shock from his face and set the brows that had shot up back to their normal position. Little Angel has teeth, it seems, and she was more than willing to bare them… if only she would take his bait and have a nibble…

Not knowing how to respond with anything that didn't have a sexual undertone, he simply burred, "You waste my time like that again, your ass is mine. I'll let you know when I need correction from some young, wet girl. In the meantime, fuck you."

"How interesting- wrong again," she countered mockingly, "That's something you will never do. Oh! And, um, a tip? I think a girl can only be wet when the man is _capable_ of making her that way, you douche." Enjoying the freshly drawn surprise and outrage on his face, Angel bounced into the bathroom and closed the door, hopping into the shower.

She was overly satisfied at her work, as she felt it was high time someone put him in his place. As small a victory that that was, she was willing to accept just that. She locked the door behind as a precaution, not caring if he had the key to it. Anything that would give her time to cover up should he enter would be fine with her. She hopping into the hot water of the shower and washed quickly, hopping out in ten minutes flat. She was on her way out of the bathroom to dress, but she caught her reflection in the mirror.

She saw multiple bruises from Hiten's attack last night, though most had faded and many of the larger ones were around her neck, wrists, shoulder, and head. The one on her temple still stood out like a bright purple beacon for all the world to see. She winced when she saw the purplish black, swollen shoulder to almost match it. She touched it with her fingers to test its soreness, and winced upon contact. Although it didn't feel as terrible as it did the previous night, it did sting heartily and the swelling made it all the more obvious when compared to her other shoulder. Instantly, she felt tears form. What if her friends at school discovered her wounds? Would they think that Bankotsu had done these things to her and sent her off to school like it was nothing? She knew that if Hiten was allowing her to attend school, she would have to make sure no one suspected anything upon her return home- no, to her prison. That would be the most horrible challenge for her to face, as she was never a good actress when it came to covering up something wrong. In fact, she'd never been a good liar- which was why she hated lying and preferred honesty.

Filing these thoughts in the back of her mind, Angel brushed her teeth and emerged from the bathroom and almost dropped her towel from shock. There Hiten sat in the same spot, watched her every move with a scowl. She blushed brightly when she noticed his eyes immediately begin to roam her nearly nude body, save the towel she wore. A glint of lust appeared on his face as his expression softened into one of desire.

"Uh… I need to get dressed," she mumbled uncertainly. She gasped slightly when his brows threaded together angrily.

"Is that your way of telling me to get out, little girl?" he snarled, ignoring the fearful look she gave him. "You've clearly forgotten the rules around here, as you had shown earlier. When I said you'll be closely monitored, I meant it."

Angel shuddered at the thought of being nude in front of him. Being in lingerie in his view frazzled her enough, so being nude in front of him and not Bankotsu would do no less than destroy her.

"B-But… I'm not used to- I mean, I-I don't want you to-"

"You think I'm here for a peep show?" he questioned in disapproval. In his mind, though he would have enjoyed such a thing, he would not have her thinking that he was some pervert with no control over himself. Sure, she excited him at times, but by _no_ means would he give her power over him. "I'm here to make sure you're not hiding anything once you leave these walls. That includes weapons and any means of communication devices of any sort. Got it?"

"Could you just search my clothes after I get dressed?" she offered, desperate to keep private things private.

He rolled his eyes. "Because this is about your little privacy needs, and is therefore wasting time, I will turn around and let you put on your underwear only, understand?" Angel nodded shakily, relieved.

She waited until his back was turned completely. She was glad he granted her that one small smidgen of privacy, especially since she knew how cruel he could be. He could just as easily have snatched the towel from her and brutalized her.

Her relief was short-live, however…

"Ten… nine… eight… seven…" Hiten counted down grimly, his back still turned to her.

Angel gawked at his audacity before scrambling to dress herself. She snatched her boy shorts around her feet and up to her hip, then she threw her arms through her bra straps. Just as she began fumbling with the hooks, time was up. Hiten turned back around and smugly eyed the frazzled girl. She flushed red when she felt his ogling gaze as if she were standing in front of a furnace. He smirked, unabashed at her state of dress and her now wild hair. She clamped the hooks of her bra together and stared him down with much malice.

"Why did you do that, you-"

"I told you you were wasting time. That little countdown just sped up your routing a bit,: he countered slyly, smirking triumphantly at her. "I'm pretty sure you didn't have time to hide anything, right?"

Angel, hating that he was right, just scoffed at him. She swiftly put on her uniform and shoes, then went to the vanity.

"Where are my hair curlers?" she asked when she noticed the essential instrument missing.

Hiten sighed, saying "Only a 'stupid' kidnapper would give you curling irons to burn him with."

"If you didn't give me a reason to burn you, MAYBE you wouldn't have to worry about that, now, would you?" she mumbled, moving to put on her eyeliner.

She gasped when she heard his ominous, heavy footsteps approach her and stop just behind her. She took the eyeliner away from her face for fear that her now quaking hands would put her eye out with it. From the vanity mirror, she couldn't see his expression; only his waist and part of his burgeoning torso. It only made her more fearful to not know what he might be thinking. Hiten placed his hand gingerly on her wounded shoulder. She shuttered at how painful the weight of his hand was, even as he was seemingly trying to be gentle. Suddenly, he squeezed the swollen injury with enough strength to crush a glass doll. Angel shrieked and her face contorted in agony as she shrank away from his grasp, tears beginning to mist her vision and flow down her cheeks. He bent down next to her ear, so close that his breath grazed her earlobe.

"If you don't want this shoulder to be broken in more ways than one, you will refrain from speaking to me as though you are speaking to a child. Do you understand?" he whispered menacingly.

"Y-Yes, I-I understand! Please let go…" she squeaked.

Satisfied, he let go of her. She released a harsh breath of relief and she soft massaged her abused shoulder. She took long, shaky deep breaths to relax. Hiten said nothing more, only looking over at the clock, which read 6:49. His brows furrowed at the discovery of being behind schedule.

"Hurry up and finish your foolish accessorizing. We have to leave in 10 minutes. Am I _correct_?" he barked, sitting back down to watch her.

Angel only nodded brokenly, not knowing what time it was but also not wanting to arouse his ire any further by telling him anything other than the affirmative. She hurriedly applied what little eyeliner and eye shadow she wore and arranged her volumes of hair into a high ponytail. Her hair had salvaged the curls she arrived there with, and she fluffed them for the Princess Jasmine look. Once she finished, she followed Hiten out of the front door, picking up her green plaid backpack that laid next to the door. He led her to a silver Mercedes Benz S500, letting her in on the passenger side. She stared out of the window as he made his way to the driver's side.

Angel found her mood to be lightening up as he pulled out of the long driveway that stood in front of what she had correctly assumed was a beautiful house. Outside the window was a long stretch of lush springtime forest- the first sight of nature and life that she'd seen in what felt like days. As she watched the trees pass, listened to the birds call, and smelled the soothing aroma of flowers and leaves, a glimmer of joy appeared in her eyes, masked only by the fears she has endured thus far.

This did not go unnoticed by Hiten.


	21. Twists and Turns

Roughly thirty minutes later, they arrived at the beautiful campus of St. Frances High School. The campus was beautiful and green, with a colossal marble fountain surrounded by flowers of different species of rose and lily in the front courtyard. The large white stucco and marble buildings with the large clear windows and high ceilings stretched across the property, accompanied by green fields for soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball, track and field, and general recreational open fields. The campus was buzzing with students eager to either begin class or skip for the day.

Angel caught sight of her friends Nina, Janet, Isla, and Scarlett. Her eyes lit up as she watched her friends carry on in their usual comical, jovial way. She hadn't seen them since that fateful day when Hiten stole her away from them. It felt like ages since she'd seen her best friends, and she couldn't wait to be with them and feel warm again rather than being in her new prison.

Angel reached for her book bag on the floor when his voice stopped her.

"What," he quipped, causing her to freeze instantly. He reached over and easily snatched up the heavy bag, putting it on the armrest between the seats. He gave her a calm, yet stern look before continuing. "Don't forget that you are still in my possession. The only reason why you're coming to school again is to keep people from asking questions. You'll continue on like everything is normal and you will not breathe a word to anyone about our little arrangement. If you do…"

Hiten reached across Angel and opened the glove compartment, ignoring her when she jumped at his sudden movement toward her. She stared in horror as he pulled out a small remote, already having some idea of what is was. He gave her a knowing look when he saw how she openly gawked at it.

"You're aware of what this is?"

"… It's a detonator…" she croaked. He smirked at her.

"Yes, it is, Angel. Very good!" he cooed mockingly. "And the night I took you, I rigged every building of this school with C-4 while you were practicing your little dance routines. I was more than happy to place it in your hand while you slept, making sure to get lots of nice little prints on it. One touch of this little yellow button, and you'll be responsible for over one thousand deaths. And believe me, _I counted_."

Angel's head whipped into his direction as a look of absolute terror etched itself into her soft features. She could barely believe that the man responsible for all her woes would be low enough to pin the deaths of all these people on _her_! She was just an 18-year-old girl, she had her whole life ahead of her and _then_ some, and just like the fiend he was, he was willing to rip it all from her grasp.

"H-How can you… I don't understand…" she whimpered brokenly, tears forming in her eyes. "What have I ever done to you?"

Hiten watched her reaction apprehensively, reminding himself that he'd done all this as a precaution, and since she was obedient and not stupid in the least, he would not have to sink so low as to hurt her in that way. He may have become the monster that his enemy had made him, but this innocent creature would not receive the brunt of his wrath. As she had just inquired, she had never harmed anyone. It was he who truly did not wish to harm her.

He set the remote back down into the glove compartment and locked it, settling back into his seat after having done so. "Don't take it personally, Angel. It's just business."

Angel's tears raced down her cheeks as she shut her eyes tight and silently calmed herself. Satisfied with her understanding, he exited the car and walked around to her side, confident that she was too frozen with fear to leave on her own. He retrieved her backpack from the backseat before opening her door, revealing a still shaken girl stuck to her seat. He took her hand and led her out of the car, her quaking legs barely keeping her upright. His heart gave a clench he couldn't explain when he caught sight of the tracks of tears on her baby-soft cheeks.

"Relax," he told her soothingly. He put her backpack on the ground and stepped closer to her until their toes met. Angel, aware of his closeness, was immediately uncomfortable and tried to step away, only for his arm to lock around her waist to prevent it. When Hiten reached up to her face with the intent of wiping tears away, she only whimpered and turned away from his touch as if his fingers were knives. The sudden fear of him and her public displays of it did not sit well with him.

"_That's enough, Angel_," he whispered firmly, tightening his arm around her and stilling her.

"_No_…" she mewed, feeling trapped by his crowding of her space. She didn't want him to touch, and she certainly didn't appreciate his newfound tenderness after he'd threatened her very livelihood two seconds ago.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight embrace, shocking her out of her wits and pushing her into fight-or-flight mode. She jumped when his breath grazed her ear, but somehow his immediate admonishment in the form of a swat to her rear made her stop cold. She didn't want to embrace him back for anything; how could she after discovering his cruel intentions?

As if reading her mind, he said, "Put your arms around my neck. This has to look good if you know what's good for you."

Afraid of incurring his wrath, she placed her arms around him and gently squeezed. She shut her eyes tightly as a tear escaped her eye. She imagined that it was Bankotsu's arms around her waist, wishing her a good days at school before he went off to work. She imagined it was his chest she was held close to, breathing in his intoxicating musk. She found a temporary solace as "Bankotsu" held her.

Hiten noticed her as she relaxed and settled into his arms. He was content with holding her close and smelling her sweet scent as his lips grazed her ear. He never thought about her intention of making sure he didn't act on his previous threat. He only thought of her finally trying to accept his care.

Hiten huskily added, "I'll be here until you leave school, Angel, so NO after school activities. You are to come to the car as soon as the last bell rings." He let go of her after a short while, surprised by how reluctantly she unhooked her arms from his neck. His face pulled into a genuine smile as he placed her book bag on her shoulder. Angel winced and broke from her thoughts as the full weight of the bag was settled upon her still bruised shoulder. She shifted uncomfortably under his fond gaze, averting her eyes to anything other than him.

"Remember, I'll be here all day, so be on time getting out here, alright? I hope to see you as soon as I can…" he cooed, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Yes…" she mumbled, still shifting her weight.

"Good girl, now run along and have a good day at school," he said.

Angel turned around and went hurriedly on her way to the school. She had been moving so fast she gasped and her cheeks changed to a pink tint when she felt his hand place a soft swat on her butt. She quickened her pace towards her girlfriends, who had been watching the entire interaction.

Scarlett, the horniest person Angel will ever _hope_ to know, was the first to speak. She was the All-American beauty of the group with shimmering red hair and striking green-hazel eyes. Her tan complexion was the envy of all the beach-going girls on campus and the praise of every warm-blooded male. She was model-sized, tall with long legs, a slim waist, and perfect proportions. She was what Angel would call a "free spirit", though; although she did have standards about a guy's appearance, she was by no means choosey once they passed that checkpoint. But she had been friends with Angel since junior high, and she was more than convinced that she could love and trust her just as much as Scarlett O'Hara Jameson did her.

"Well, well, well! I see Little Miss Baby-Girl got a new piece of man-candy!" she teased, tapping Angel's behind the same way Hiten had.

Angel flushed profusely and turned to face her. "He's not-" she began, but then she remembered what he said about keeping quiet. She didn't want to risk her friends' lives over a petty assumption.

"He's not what, hon?" Janet, the lovely Texan of their group, asked curiously. Janet Jackson Marshall was their beloved country girl, with a tough hide and a heart of gold. She had gleaming blonde hair and eyes that could only be described as summer violet. Her strong, toned legs were enough to make every female student-athlete jealous of them and her deep dimples coupled with her radiant smile were enough to make even the coldest man smile. Her parents owned many successful ranches in Texas, and a business deal for some land in Florida was how Janet's parents and Angel's parents met. Numerous times a year, people would have to listen Janet fondly reminisce over how she met the "prettiest lil' thang" she had ever seen at 8 years old and became inseparable from her.

"Er… he's not my new boyfriends, he's… just a really good friend! He can be a little flirty, that's all," she replied nervously mentally panicking.

All four of the girls looked at her with mockingly incredulous looks. They figured Angel was lying, but didn't want to tease her further because she seemed a little to distressed about this friend. Unbeknownst to them, they each made a mental note to catch Angel in private and clear things up. Angel stared back at the four girls, not even wanting to know what they were deducing in their heads. All she knew was that she was with them, free to live again, and away from him.

Suddenly, all the happiness burst out of Angel at once as she jumped up and hugged all four of them, dropping her backpack in the process. The four girls gasped, surprised at her sudden joy. They were also more than surprised that her tiny arms had gathered them all into one big group hug.

"I missed you guys so much!" she shrieked, squeezing tighter on her long lost pals. Putting aside their initial shock, the girls smiled and hugged her back.

"We missed you too, Angel! All two days of you!" Nina laughed, all of her posse joining in. Nina Simone McCarroll was Angel's best friend and most trusted ally. They'd known each other since K-5 and, in the same case as Janet, Nina couldn't escape the pull of the beautiful little girl with the long curly pigtails and the million-watt smile. Angel herself had noticed Nina's baby doll face framed by lustrous brown waves of hair and tea green eyes framed by thick dark lashes. She was what most girls would call "top heavy" with a bust line almost as large as Angel's, but the rest of her filled out perfectly with softly rounded hips and pretty little legs to match it all. She was a dream for every nerd on campus when, in a survey, she not-so-anonymously stated that she preferred smart guys.

They remained together talking and playing around like they usually did before school until the first period bell rang. With the sounding of the bell, the girls quickly gathered their books and ran to their respective first period classes, sure to be tardy as soon as they appeared in the door.

On her way to AP Biology, Angel took in the sights and smells of her school, finally at peace for the first time in days. She would enjoy every minute of today as if it were her last one she would ever receive. She smiled wide at passing students, some of whom she didn't know the names of, who were smiling, waving, and sending warm greetings to her fondly. Though she hated to say it, she even missed that strange thing people called "popularity". Jocks, cheerleaders, band geeks, goths, dance girls, flag girls, plastics, the hot-guys-that-don't-do-sports, and complete nobodies alike greeted her. When she walked into the science class to smiles, waves, and even a cheerful teacher, she was sure today would go well.

The second period bell rang on time, the students shuffling in response. Angel gathered her notes and her binder before a familiar hand scooped up the heavy biology book and binder for her.

She looked up to see Tyler beaming down at her, her textbook tucked under his varsity-jacketed sleeve. His green eyes twinkled when she extended a warm smile to him as well.

"Hi, Tyler!" she said kindly in her usual bubby mature.

Tyler blushed and he shuffled. "Hey there, Angel. H-How are you?" he returned sheepishly.

"I'm great! Just glad to be back at school. How are you?" she asked genuinely, leading him out of the classroom with her innocent charms.

"Oh, me? Yeah, er, I'm great! Terrific, er, how about y- Oh! Wait, I just asked you that…" he stumbled, mentally cursing himself for being so nervous. Angel was always different like that- she got him to sweat when the other girls he'd been with couldn't even squeeze a bead of sweat out of him in the backseat of a hot car with leather seats.

Angel giggled, enjoying his usual stumbling. 'He never has gotten used to me, has he?' she thought.

They both arrived at Angel's locker quickly after most of the school's hallway had parted for the future prom king and queen. Angel opened it and exchanged looks, taking the one Tyler carried from him.

"Thanks for carrying this heavy book for me Tyler," she praised, putting it away.

"Sure, Angel, any time… So…" he began timidly.

"Yes, Tyler?"

"Er… well… have you been okay these past two days?"

Angel's smile slowly fell, remembering her situation begrudgingly. She didn't want to let anything slip, so she played it off as best she could. "Er, what do you mean, Tyler?"

"I just, er, some guys- cops- came askin' about you the other day… They said something about the last time I saw you and all that… They made it seem like you disappeared or something."

Angel's legs began to shake as he recounted how the officers showed up and asked all kinds of questions about her. Were the police involved already? She has five friends in the force- were two of them asking about her? And if they already knew, why hadn't her parents put out a search for her, since they would be the first to know of it? Why hadn't Bankotsu put out a search for her? She couldn't wrap her head around these new developments…

Something just _wasn't_ adding up.

"… and that was it. They let me go… you know, after they were, er, done."

"Er… wow, that's weird," she laughed halfheartedly, trying to convince the two of them. Tyler rubbed his neck nervously, continuing to blush at the lovely smile before him. "Tyler… do you know who-"

Just then the tardy bell for second period rand, interrupting both of their thoughts. Tyler suddenly paled as he noticed he'd be late again. He hurriedly left on his way.

"Hey, Angel, I'm sorry but I really gotta get to math. Mr. Bois said if I'm late again, he'll have Coach bench me for a whole game!" he managed, wasting no time.

Once he was gone, Angel sighed mournfully and turned back to her locker. Retrieving her books, Angel stopped when she felt her cheeks heat up and her eyes begin to sting as tears sprang to them. She had to take a painful pause, trying to keep her legs from dropping her to the floor. She tried to force herself to stop the influx of tears. She hated how she always broke into tears whenever she was faced with a larger than life situation. She clung to her tears as a safety valve. But now, she couldn't always break down anymore. She had to be strong, just a Bankotsu would want her to be. Looking in her compact locker mirror, she began to transform the broken, red-eyes captive back into the free, light hearted beauty. She reapplied her mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow, freshened up her lip gloss, and headed through the empty hallway to her second period class.

* * *

Well, ladies and gents, that completes DAY 1 of my return! SO SORRY TO KEEP ANYONE WAITING! Just graduated tho, come on, gimme a break lol! Expect more tomorrow as we explore just a little more of Angel's plight and Hiten's deviousness. Expect at least two more tomorrow, but I gotta rest cuz my neck is in total pain right now- typing things you've handwritten is NOT fun! But something fun for you in the meantime-

NAME THE FAMOUS PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER!

See ya tomoro! (=^_^=)


	22. Morse Code

_It's unfortunate that when we feel a storm_

_We can roll ourselves over 'cuz we're uncomfortable_

_Oh well, the devil makes us sin_

_But we like it when we're spinning…_

_In his grin…_

Angel worked diligently as the music flowed through her ear buds. After fishing her AP English book out of her backpack, she was thankful to find her iPod still inside. Although she hadn't given it much thought, she figured Hiten would've confiscated it as soon as he had gotten hold of her bag. She loved music and hadn't had any sort of musical freedom in two days. Now that she had it, she had an escape.

She never noticed the eyes the kept flicking toward her as others grew distracted by either her beauty or her loud music. Her English teacher had always allowed her students to use MP3 players in class, as music is always a creativity booster. Her rule, however, was to always keep the volume down. Of course, Angel ignored that rule in spite of herself.

Seeing the wrinkles that littered Mrs. Davis's forehead, Nina, who was sitting beside Angel at the same table, nudged her. This startled Angel, and she took out one of her Skull Candy ear buds out.

"What is it?" Angel asked, looking at her with concern.

"Well, as much as that song that you're listening to kicks ass, you might wanna turn it down before Mrs. Davis kicks yours," she whispered amusedly. Angel gave a small blush and looked over in said teacher's direction, being met with a knowing look. Angel just smiled sheepishly and turned down her music.

"Please excuse me, Mrs. Davis. I really didn't mean to," she stated quietly. Mrs. Davis just gave a small grin and nod before returning to her paperwork. Nina giggled at the odd exchange.

"Do you guys have telepathy or something? I swear, we say whole sermons to her and she'll just stare. But you? She shows signs of intelligent _life_!"

Angel giggled in response. "Yes, well, I guess unique people have unique connections, right?"

"True, especially when of those connections is between you and E.T."

Both girls giggled again before being shushed by Mrs. Davis. They silenced the noise instantly, not wanting to upset the aloof instructor any more than they wanted to. Nina was having too much fun to stop talking, though. She took out a sheet of paper, jotted down a note, and passed it to Angel.

_Wats up with ur phone? We called u during most of the time u were gone! _:/

Taken off guard by the out-of-the-blue question, and just how truly it rang, Angel scribbled out a response.

_Wat do u mean?_

_I MEAN u never answered but ur voicemail always had sum creepy guy saying u were unconscious!_

Angel's heart nearly jumped out of her chest as her eyes scanned the message. She looked over at Nina, shocked. Nina's face held a mixture of worry and confusion, with a hint of aggravation. Angel always recognized that look. Nina had one of the biggest hearts in the world, but it never masked her fiery temper. ESPECIALLY when one of her friends could be in trouble. Angel knew for a fact that Hiten's voice was the one Nina had heard on the voicemail. Her loins cringed in disgust as she thought of what he might have cruelly said- how debased and open he must have been about his misdeeds to have even locked her phone and recorded the message. But that was the part she was failing to decipher as rational- If you had kidnapped someone and didn't want to gain attention, why would you make a message on a voicemail that could be heard by all who called the phone? People would notice something was wrong, and then the police would be on your trail before the second person could even hear it! There were seven people who called her every day- Bankotsu, her parents, Nina, Janet, Scarlett, and Isla. There were many others who called her almost as often, from club members to friends to teammates to her "big brothers" Renkotsu, Inuyasha, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, Koga, and Miroku and their wives or longtime girlfriends (excluding Renkotsu, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, and Inuyasha). There were enough people calling her to have the FBI on Hiten by now, so why was no one looking for her? The only reason that wouldn't happen by now is…

Could some of them actually be _in_ on this?

Angel's throat burned and her head swam in all the harsh realities and painful possibilities. She leaned forward on the table, resting her head back between her hands in a desperate effort to dissuade the sickening haze. Anything to anchor her head back to a solid mind. Nina noticed Angel's sudden unrest, scooting closer to her and resting her arms around her. She slowly rocked her to calm her and relieve her stress. She felt her begin to tremble under her touch, her breath hitching repeatedly as she held back relentless tears.

"Ms. McCarroll, what's going on back there?" Mrs. Davis asked in a concerned tone. Anxiety was revealed in her eyes as she removed her eyeglasses and proceeded toward the girls in the back of the room. Nina looked up at the now approaching teacher cautiously. She glanced back down at Angel's weeping frame before answering.

"Er… something's wrong with her stomach… and she's got a _really_ bad migraine. I think I may need to take her to the infirmary, Mrs, Davis."

Mrs. Davis nodded quickly before turning her attention back to Angel. She slowly, gently placed her hands on Angel's arms, the hands of which were still holding her head. The middle-aged woman tenderly pulled her arms from under her head, treating her arms as though they were pieces of delicate porcelain. At the sight of Angel's reddened eyes as she lifted her head and looked at her teacher sorrowfully, Mrs. Davis asked her, "Angel, do you need to see the nurse?"

Angel shuddered, then nodded quickly. Though she had no intentions of seeing a nurse, speaking to Nina had always calmed her spirits. She decided she needed that now more than ever. She stood abruptly and gathered her things. Angel was already on her way to the door when Nina had gotten permission to accompany her

Outside the school, on a shady lunch table, Angel freely cried the rest of her tears as Nina cradled her, shushing and cooing to her gently. She supplied countless tissues to her to dry her eyes and nose, both slightly pink under the brown of her skin. Nina watched her worriedly, pity and concern etched into her features because she could not properly console her friend.

"Angel, sweetie, what's the matter?" she asked, almost afraid for an answer. They way she was crying now, you would think the girl had two weeks to live!

Angel, registering her friend's voice, sniffled and flipped her wavy black ponytail over her shoulder. Nina watched in awe as it landed, illustrious and perfect. Nina's forehead wrinkled slightly, somewhat envious of how this angel could be a pink, sniffling, red-faced mess and still be so perfect.

"I-I'm just… I don't know- I c-can't even tell y-you, Nina-"

"Sweetie, you know you can tell me anything. We've been cool since kindergarten- you know I wouldn't tell nobody anything you don't want me to," she pressed soothingly. She was determined to see what was distressing her friend- or, for that matter, who.

Angel's earthen-sea orbs met Nina's fern green ones in a tense moment. Angel deliberated whether she could possibly tell her something of this magnitude. Especially when there was the ever-present promise that harm could come to her. Nina wondered vehemently about what the unworldly young woman in front of her could've gotten herself into. Angel took a quick look around as if trying to see who could be in earshot of the conversation. Finding no one she looked back to Nina, who took Angel's shaky hands into her own and offered her a reassuring smile. Angel smiled back halfheartedly as she was still nervous and anxious to tell her.

Angel took a deep breath and started quietly, "Nina… you know I trust you and care about you 100%, so I can't stress enough how crazy my situation is…"

"Honey, you know you can trust me and you know I'm here fore you no matter what, okay? Just tell me what the hell's going on so I can help you!" Nina pressed, anxious to rescue her best friend.

"_Please_… please, please, please don't tell anybody about this, Nina!" she begged, her eyes misting.

"No one's going to know, sweetie. Not Scarlett, not Isla, not even Janet. That means _nobody_."

"Okay…" Angel consented, taking a much needed deep breath. "Nina… I'm in a-aaaAAAHH!"

Angel suddenly screamed and jumped to her feet, unknowingly snatching her hands from Nina's warm grasp. This sudden excitement startled Nina, who stared in bewilderment at her.

"Er… oookay? What the three and a half hells was that?" Nina asked, giving her a strange look.

"Er… it's, um… the birth control pills! Yeah!" Angel rambled, "I'm on birth control pills now! I - er- my mom, she's, like, _really_ paranoid about me and all… but I told her I don't do anything but she secretly thinks I'm really… er…"

Nina seemed a little skeptical of Angel's rambles, however. "That doesn't explain the voicemail!" she retorted.

"That was… my uncle Jamie! Yeah, he said that if I even THINK about running of with any boys, he'll knock me out! Haha, funny huh? He just recorded that voicemail so that every boy who called me would know it and everyone else would just laugh…"

Nina sighed, seemingly relieved- and believing that blatant lie that Angel was desperate enough to make believable. "So that's what you've been nervous about! Your mom's probably just worried about guys chasin' that hot little body of yours! You're soooo cute, Angel!"

Angel sighed in relief and couldn't help but giggle to herself. She wasn't too far from a virgin, and her "little body" still had much to learn as far as lust and desire went. She was glad the Nina laughed this off instead of questioning her further.

"Yeah, silly, huh? I was just as nervous about the mood swings at stuff that I heard about and I got upset…"

"It's okay, Angel, I understand! Look, I'm here if you're ever upset about anything else, okay? Stop worrying it'll all work out," Nina reassured her warmly.

Angel suddenly looked like a weight fell off of her shoulders. She smiled generously, showing both rows of her pearly white teeth and her faint dimples. She grabbed her friend up into a sisterly hug, an embrace they shared until the third period bell rang a moment later. Gathering their things from the table, the pals chattered absently as they made their way back to the building they camp out of so they could get to class. Angel allowed Nina to enter first, but she herself entered inside, she looked over her shoulder cautiously. Her breath hitched when she caught sight of Hiten's Mercedes. The window was cracked and a pipe-like object protruded from it. Angel squinted to see what it could be. Then, the window began to roll up slowly, but not before said "pipe" was turned to the side. It revealed a sniper barrel and Angel's eyes widened as the large weapon was pulled back inside the vehicle before the window fully closed. Feeling a startling mixture of relief and fear, Angel turned and followed the waiting brunette inside. She chattered with her as calmly as possible…

making sure not to mention the flickering red laser on the girl's heart that scared the perfect liar out of her.


	23. Rendezvous

The rest of the day went by smoothly with Angel meeting her pals in every other class and then altogether at lunch. Despite the troublesome happenings, she had enjoyed her freedom all day. She laughed, joked, played, smiled, and learned all she could. Seeing her carefree behavior coupled with her radiant loveliness made everyone around her happy and glad that Angel graced them with her presence. It actually worked to her advantage: she got to be normal and free again, even if it was temporary, and no one suspected her captivity, shielding her from Hiten's wrath. She certainly wasn't looking forward to being put back in her prison, and she anxiously avoided thinking of the last bell.

Before the bell rang, Angel rushed out of the door, hugging her girlfriends goodbye. She made it to the front of the school where parents awaited their teens, relieved when the bell sound promptly when she exited the school. She had already been through one episode of Hiten's man-opause than morning- she refused to deal with his bitching about timing twice in a row. She felt a pang of guilt as she looked over at the field where her lacrosse team was getting warmed up for practice.

"One- TWO- three- FOUR- five- SIX-"

The co-captain had already taken up command in her place, counting off the odds as the team picked up the evens for stretches. She would hate to have to lie to coach tomorrow, but, again, it was either that or risk her life and the team's. She wanted desperately to join them, but knew her captor would never allow such a thing. Angel glanced back in front of her and caught sight of Hiten leaning on his Mercedes in a shaded area of the faculty parking lot. The trees around him provided ample shade and, unfortunately, obscurity. A wrinkle marred her nose as she looked upon the disgusting villain, thinking back on his malicious tampering with her voicemail. How he could be so cruel to someone who knew not anything about him or _him_ for that matter and live with himself was thoroughly beyond her mental capacity. His piercing crimson eyes watched her as she made her way to the car, her demeanor seemingly obedient and acceptant to what he might say or do. Angel personally dreaded having to return to him, but there was not much in the opposite that she could do. After all, her little mid-day talk made it obvious that she must tiptoe around him to put on the guise of subservience and apology. She needed to avoid making a fuss in order to avoid his wrath.

Once she reached him, she slowly came to a stop a good ten feet away from him. She innocently brought her gaze to meet his, her hand smoothing a lock of hair neighboring her pouting lips. Hiten, eying her like a predator does his prey, chuckled at her adorable display. She reminded him of a naïve schoolgirl who had to receive punishment for being caught kissing a boy. She just blushed at the soft sound of his rough baritone voice.

"What's wrong, little Angel? Even innocent little schoolgirl know how to greet people," he cooed in a teasing tone.

Angel shifted her weight from her left to her right, nervous to see what he was up to, but nonetheless peeved as she squared up her shoulders and lit the fires in her eyes. "I don't greet jerks who are stupid enough to mess with my PERSONAL voicemails!" she snapped, her fists tight as her sides. She had stopped far enough away from him for him to hear the retort loud and clear without alarming to many others, but part of her wanted to make a scene- _wanted_ someone to see the monster that held her against her will.

Hiten's brows shot up, then furrowed in seething anger as he beheld the little thing that had the audacity to raise her voice at him. She looked like a goddess scorned with her eyes ablaze with ire and her cheeks tinted a warm pink. Her tiny fists were clenched in her fury, and her body seemed ready to pounce, with a set in her jaw that made it seem as though once she got her hands on him, she'd tear his throat open with her very teeth. He begrudgingly admitted that she looked absolutely _ravishing_, her feisty nature coming at him full force despite the fact that she'd seen the wrath he could turn upon her at any sign of disobedience.

'_The little woman truly fears nothing,'_ he thought fondly, his arousal gaining the better of him as his glare toned down to an appreciate ogle.

"I will do whatever I want, last time I checked, little _captive_. Do not question what I do, it's not as though you could ever stop me. Concerned as to why I would be so blatant in your broadcasting your captivity?" he mocked, crossing his arms haughtily.

Angel faltered. What did Hiten know that she did not? It was the answer to what she'd been pondering… did she really want to know?

Sensing her hesitation, he answered her, "Your trust in those who claim they love you and the secrecy of our little situation appear to have a pretty significant gap. The latter is much larger, if you haven't noticed-"

"I _hate_ you!" Angel suddenly burst, unable to listen to his mind games any longer. She might not know fully what is going on, but she would _not_ let him slander the people she loved over it. Not if she had any breath in her body to disarm it. The burning tears in her eyes and the redness of her face were proof enough.

"I'll let you know when I give two fifths of a fuck, now greet me correctly."

Angel had all but collapsed inside as she finally realized just what kind of demon she had on her hands. Her heart raced and crawled all at once, sadness and fear and helplessness and anger drowning her all at once. At the same time, she knew there was not much she could do- she had vowed to find a way out, now all she needed was time. Time to plan, time to organize, to escape, to _live_. She would take all of her time, too, and before she was done, he'd be sorry he had ever laid eyes on her.

"I'm waiting," he pressed smoothly, his sneer growing ever wider.

"… H-Hello…" she squeaked, averting his gaze.

"Hello _who_?"

"Hello… Hiten…"

"Good girl. You gonna give daddy a hug for picking you up from school?" he mocked, opening his large arms to her.

Angel swallowed lightly, nervous about walking forward. She knew that his question wasn't a request, but instead a command, she walked to him and looked up at him leaning against the car, smirking down at her with his arms wide. She blushed at how close they were. Suddenly, he whipped his arms around her tiny waist and pulled her to his chest. The both of them now leaned against the car. He dwarfed her feminine frame, the top of her head grazing his chin. She gasped at the sudden move, but held still despite herself. He lowered his head, inhaling the sweet scent of lavender and vanilla from her silken mane. His breath calmed while his blood rushed through his nerves, her closeness and scent taking over his mind and body. She whimpered when she felt his arms snake around her waist even tighter, then as one of his hands wantonly slid down to her behind. He let out a quiet growl as his hand squeezed her plump, soft flesh. He licked his lips in an open attempt to moisten his suddenly dry lips, still fondling the trembling girl in his arms. She blushed even harder, her face suddenly gaining the heat of a roaring furnace as the hand molesting her began to coil its fingers into the warm valley protected by her panties.

"Stop it…" she whimpered, wiggling to get out of his grasp.

He gave a deep, throaty chuckle as he placed his other hand on her ass as well. He hissed in lust as he closed his large hands around the flesh, so tight his nails scratched her skin. She wiggled with more vigor and pushed away from his chest, giving him a pleading, dazed look.

"No!" she squeaked, clenching his shirt in her small fists desperately. He grinned at her warmly, making her wary of hidden intentions.

"You know, I really don't believe that I would want to stop, Angel," he cooed, now massaging her generous mounds.

"Stop that… don't touch me-" she suppressed a groan when his fingers glided across the lace covered labia between her thighs.

"I don't think you want me to either. Especially after your little storytelling venture today," he added, licking his lips seductively at her.

Angel suddenly stiffened, remembering what happened with Nina earlier that day. She averted her eyes, trying to avoid letting him see the guilty look in them. She tried in vain to pull away then. Hiten wouldn't allow it and brought her crashing down onto his solid chest. Angel shrieked at their new pelvis-to-pelvis position and was sure that the hard object pressing against her wasn't a belt buckle…

Hiten relished the feel of her taut belly pressing against his hardness. Wanting more, he lightly ground his hips against her. A strong carnal sensation shot from his groin to every nerve in his body and it got to the point that he was so hard it hurt like hell. He was held hostage by this luscious girl in his grasp as she innately aroused his defenseless form to no end, making him desperate to sample her, _taste_ her. With the way she was making him feel, it was taking everything in his very being not to throw her into the back seat and have his merry way with her right there in the faculty parking lot. His sanity was on end and he knew how capable he was of doing so- he wouldn't have given a damn who happened to walk by and see those sexy legs in the air as he humped furiously between them, having no shame in hearing her cry out for blessed mercy. He briefly opened his eyes, temporarily coming back to Earth as he scanned the busy school area. There were students hopping into cars with friends and parents, running off to after-school activities, flirting, congregating around cars with loud music, and heading home in their own cars. Just as he suspected, there was too much going on for anyone to notice the two of them in this shaded, dark area in the parking lot.

To keep from moaning, he bit his lip, releasing a strangled groan instead as he buried his nose in her hair. His hands wondered over her rear and beneath her skirt. Her skin was so warm and inviting to him, smooth to the touch, almost reminiscent of bamboo fabric.

"You know that if you weren't persuading me otherwise right now, I'd be tearing your little ass up for that, right?" he burred in her ear, enjoying the delicious tremble that her body gave off. The little "eep" she squeaked out didn't hurt either. He smacked her ass hard for good measure, earning a helpless yelp from her. She felt the sting of a thousand hornets once again as evidence of what the power behind his rough, wide hands could have done to her.

She whimpered ever louder, discombobulated by the conflict of the reasoning of her mind with the radiating need of her core. She didn't know how, but she felt her panties grow slick with her juices, and the heat built up to a point where her thoughts of protest, _all_ her thoughts of rebellion went blurred. Hiten himself felt her wetness as his fingers glided along the crotch of her lingerie panties. He hissed, subconsciously bucking his hips into her, lusting over the wetness of her hot sheath like a crazed eunuch. As his fingers caressed her to the brink of insanity, Angel mustered what little self-control his talented hands hadn't torn from her and pulled away. Hiten, shocked by her sudden and unmerited rejection, growled and glared down at her. He grit his teeth and yanked her to him by her waist, demand in his eyes and dominance in his hands. Angel looked up at him from her position, leaning away from his chest as they were still connected by the hips. She saw his glare as the heat of his gaze burned through the submissive warmth of her cool blue and brown ones. It quickened her heartbeat, her body all of a sudden feeling tinier and even more feminine under this beast of a man. She placed her hands on his chest gently to both support herself and attempt to soothe him, not wanting to anger this beast even more.

"You try my patience, little girl!" he snarled as he gripped her slim waist in his gargantuan hands. He was angry with her, but careful not to put too much force on her. He clearly had her fear, her reverence even, so he didn't need to harm her, nor did he want to.

"Please, can we just leave?" she requested in a hushed, timid whisper.

Looking around, he realized then that they'd been there fore almost twenty minutes. He relaxed slightly at this, aware that even though she may have wanted to stop their little session, she must have been legitimately tired from her long day. He looked back down at her, her eyes innocent and expectant.

"Fine then. We've been here long enough anyway," he growled lowly, turning her loose. He turned to the car and held it open for her as she got in.

Angel got in quickly and tossed her backpack in the backseat. When he got in the car, she pretended to busy himself with her seat belt as his eyes wandered over her again. She said upright once it was buckled and stared at her lap, anxiously pulling her skirt as long as it would go to cover her skin from his gaze. She bit back a sigh of relief as he started the car and left the school.

After a few minutes on the road, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

* * *

A/N: DUE TO A TYPO IN EARLIER CHAPTERS, ANGEL IS BELIEVED TO BE 5'8"- SORRY! SHE IS ACTUALLY 5'3"! Any-who, lots of stuff's gonna be heating up in the next few chapters. Decided to let this one simmer before I add the rest tomoro. Well, hope you enjoyed readers! Remember to tell me your thoughts, they are MUCH valued!


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